The MNS Branch e-group forum has seen a significant amount of traffic lately. Some of the threads on the forum require a peacemaker to placate the offended, and some others require suggestions on making holiday parties more environmentally responsible.
Below are my contributions to 2 threads that I felt obligated to respond to, as the Coordinator for Green Living.
1. Thread 1: An observation made by a Swiss expatriate on the state of the environment in Malaysia.
Original Message, with typos included:
“Malaysia is getting dirtier and more untidy each year. The beaches are so full of rubbish that no tourist dares to go near them. This is due to the fact that a high percentage of people are lazy and don't care. As long as there is an apartheid policy with privileges to one class of people there will never be any progress. It's like the Abos in Australia who get a weekly handout; instead of improving their education they waste all money on booze and their villages look like a battlefield. Fortunately Islam brohibits alcohol but unfortunately not lazzyness. Look at Singapore, no discrimination, just meritocracy. The Malays there are better educated, cleaner and a valued part not only of the economy but also of higher education and government. Stop pickering and concentrate on what is important for
the improvement in quality of life of the entire population.”
This was followed by 3 days’ worth of irate replies accusing the author of racism and ignorance.
My response was the final one, after which the thread was laid to rest:
“Dear friends,
I am positive that Nirmala did not mean to offend anyone by relaying what a friend of hers said. It is just an error of judgment that such a message was even disseminated to the e-group. As people who care about the biosphere and all living things, we must be very circumspect about the views we express lest we cause harm or offence. I have in the past inadvertently made tongue-in-cheek comments that did not go down well with some members in the e-group as well, so the best we could do in such circumstances is apologise and make a sincere effort not to make inflammatory jokes or thoughtless remarks in future.
I was initially amused when I read the original email, because I recalled that when I first visited Pulau Ketam at age 7 and witnessed how all waste was just cast into the sea, and later realised how filthy and disorderly Chinese new villages were in comparison to the neat, flower-filled kampungs in Serendah and Sg. Choh, I had felt ashamed to be Chinese because I thought that the Chinese must be the dirtiest people in the country!
I learned later that cleanliness has very little to do with ethnicity, and everything to do with education, socio-economic power, the community one lives in, enforcement (or lack thereof) and the existing mindset of the people.
I observed, for instance, that most litterbugs in Malaysia fall within these categories:
1. Those living in semi-permanent housing and rural areas that do not have the advantage of waste collection services;
2. Those living in the coastal areas or near rivers who earnestly believe that throwing rubbish into the river/sea is the correct thing to do, because running water will carry the rubbish away and therefore is 'self-cleaning' ;
3. Children too young to know any better;
4. Senior citizens and rural dwellers who deal with plastics and other non-biodegradable waste the same way they do with biodegradable waste -- by just casting them away, burying them, or burning them;
5. Drivers who consume food or drink or smoke cigarettes in the car and lack a proper receptacle for the waste they generate and could not be bothered to hang on to the litter until they get home;
6. Those from the educated classes who believe that it is not their duty to keep the country clean, and that by littering, they are actually providing jobs to those who are employed to clean up after them;
7. Young people out with friends who, strangely enough, find it embarrassing to pick up after themselves, but not embarrassing to litter in front of others;
8. Campers, picnickers and trekkers who find it difficult to carry their rubbish out with them;
9. People attending festivals, parades and public events who believe that there are others paid to clean up after them;
10. Just about anyone else, as long as they think they can get away with it!
All of the people in the above categories are motivated mostly by chronic apathy, and to a certain extent, also laziness and ignorance, but it has little to do with race. The solution here is much simpler than that of revising affirmative action economic policies -- it's to ensure enforcement. I would advocate a carrot-and-stick approach: Fine / punish those who are caught littering; and create a recycling deposit system or 'manufacturer take-back' system that will charge people extra for things such as PET bottles and aluminium cans, but will give them an attractive refund of, say, 50 sen, for each unit they return to the shops. A gradual ban on plastic bags and Styrofoam products is also in order, and the way to wean the public off plastics and foam products is to start by creating attractive incentives for those who carry their own grocery bags and takeout containers and decline packaging. I believe we will see this happen in our lifetimes, so take heart!”
2. Thread 2: Request for ideas for an Eco-Friendly Christmas Office Party:
Original Message:
“It's the time of the year when offices, societies, groups of individuals will gather to celebrate with a party. It is almost always that some form of gift exchange will be included. Although the idea is in the spirit of giving but most often than not we end up buying frivolous trinkets that the receiver doesn't really (or want). Over the years, I have received many of such gifts and more often than not - I have no use for them and they end up being junk in my storeroom. Talk about unnecessary consumption of goods (and additional trash too).
This year, I hope to make that change in my office. How can we celebrate in the spirit of giving without further harming poor Mother Nature unnecessarily?
Any suggestions on party programs/games that we could have instead of gift exchange, secret santa or kris kringle?
Shalom,
YuletideLilly”
This is my second reply to the original message:
“More ideas from me:
1. Each employee contributes RM5, and the office adopts a nest of baby turtles under SEATRU/STOP. The certificate of adoption can be framed and hung in the office lobby.
2. Make inquiries with MNS and FRIM to have trees planted in the company's honour. Each employee to contribute a small amount of money towards this end as well.
3. Employees help to make up a list of (approx. 5 - 10) charities that need one-off volunteer help. Examples: Community centres, animal shelters and welfare homes might need a new coat of paint and a big clean-up job. Employees draw lots from a raffle tin containing names of charities. Then they form teams according to the charities and arrange for a day to volunteer for at least 2 - 3 hours (until the job is done).
4. Obtain permission from General Hospital or University Hospital for a team to visit and distribute gifts. Many of the aged or long-term patients do not have visitors. As hospital air can be unhealthy and drying on the skin (due to humidity control), gifts can include towels, hand lotion, lip balm, scented soap and powder, sugar-free mints etc. I've done this before on Mother's Day, to distribute gifts to mothers staying with their children in the cancer wards.
5. Find out from WWF or MYCAT or that Save Our Sumatran Rhinos project if they have a wildlife adoption programme. Then each employee contributes some money to adopt an animal and the certificate of adoption gets to be put up in the office lobby.
6. Have a non-consumer Christmas party: Have games where employees play Secret Santa by writing something nice about someone else in their department. The final result can go into a binder, company newsletter or special festive email.
7. Find an impoverished Orang Asli community (trust me, there are many!) and speak to the Tok Batin about what they need most. Employees bring gifts like clothes, new sarong, kitchen utensils, woodworking tools, farming tools, seeds etc and a team delivers it directly to the community and take photos for posterity and to show to the rest of the office.
8. Play a game where employees write their personal resolutions/pledges for a better world (e.g. "I will stop wasting food and will buy groceries for a welfare home" or "I will stop killing bugs and insects with pesticides") on snowflake or star-shaped cards and then hang them on the staff Christmas tree. Cards can be anonymous and employees can have fun guessing who made which pledge.
If any of this is too BND/leftist/earthy-crunchy for you, then feel free to improvise and not exclude the element of receiving small prizes for games.
Seasons Greetings,
Hippie Ee Lynn.”
May the lines of communication always remain open and the exchange of ideas remain prolific.
Friday, 5 December 2008
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Walk With Us In The Seagrass Meadows
Saturday, 15 November 2008 - Sunday, 16th November 2008: 3rd Seahorse Monitoring and Data Collection Expedition
Mum and I crossing the suspension bridge at the Kukup Island National Park.
A motto at the Kukup Island National Park that Dad and I really liked.
A thorny sea cucumber: Another one of those things that both fascinate and repulse Mum.
A huge-ass sea cucumber that Mum spotted and I picked up.
Mum and Dad at the Kukup Jetty
(For more photos of our trip, please go to: my MNS activities photo album)
My first two trips to the seagrass beds at the Pulai River Estuary had been deeply gratifying and wondrous ones, and I thought it fair to afford my parents the opportunity to visit the seagrass beds with me on my next trip to see the marine fauna there.
And so I renewed the parents' Malaysian Nature Society membership and registered them for the November trip as a wedding anniversary gift to them. It was an occasion of great excitement for them even though I had reminded them that they may have to rough it out a little.
After a long drive down South with numerous breaks in between, we finally arrived in Nusa Bestari and checked in to our rooms at Euro Hotel before meeting up with the others in the lobby and driving in convoy to the SOS (Save Our Seahorses) Research Station in Pendas. We offered a lift to a particular Mr. Soh, the only other senior citizen in the group, who coincidentally turned out to be a retired schoolteacher as well, and he and Covert Dad bonded quickly and became firm friends throughout the trip.
While the tenderfoots were being briefed on their duties at the Research Station, Serina pulled me aside to inform me of a hostile presence at the seagrass beds, and we discussed whether or not to confront this person head -on or to go to the press to correct any misinformation later. There has been much commercial interest in the seagrass meadows and the profiteers discovered that the most compelling way of persuading the State Government that the site should make way for development was to tell the authorities and media that there was nothing of value living at the site. Our job as conservationists was to present evidence to the contrary and state our case categorically.
We took the boats to the seagrass meadow around 1745h and helped the volunteers off the boats. Covert Dad and Covert Mum were thrilled to find themselves standing on solid ground in what seemed like the middle of the sea. Covert Mum's sharp eyes detected movements almost immediately and picked out horseshoe crabs, thorny sea cucumbers, large tiger-striped sea cucumbers, pincushion sea stars and sea squirts. It filled me with warmth inside to see them marvelling at the unique marine fauna and express amazement at the experience of being at such an ecologically sensitive and little-known marine habitat.
Unfortunately, due to the heavy rains in the afternoon, the sky grew dark rather early and visibility soon became a problem. As such, the team was not able to spot and tag any seahorses or alligator pipefish on Saturday. I was disappointed, but the parents were really good sports and were able to appreciate that Nature doesn't stay put just to oblige humans.
We adjourned to dinner at Saujana, a Malay seafood restaurant. The food was terrible and overpriced. We reached Euro Hotel after 2300h for some much needed sleep. Woke up on Sunday to tidy up, shower and proceed to Old Town Cafe for a sumptuous breakfast. We then checked out of the hotel and drove in convoy to the Kukup Island National Park.
After the preliminary briefing, we took a boat to Kukup Island, 50% of which was submerged right now due to the monsoon rains. We climbed up the watchtower, walked across the suspension bridge and walked along the boardwalk. We saw lots of sea snails, volutes, tree-climbing crabs, magpie robins, giant mudskippers, blue-spotted mudskippers, and dog-faced water snakes. Covert Mum got to see her favourite giant mudskippers, which both repulsed and fascinated her.
Just as we were arriving at the second watchtower, our park guide received a call from his office that the coastal water level was rising and that our cars, which were parked in the compound of the marine park office, were in danger of being flooded out.
Hui-Min and Bushcraft John gallantly offered to return to the marine park office to move all our cars to higher ground so that the rest of us would not have to cut short our Island trip.
We completed our trek of Kukup Island and returned to the jetty to wait for our boat, during which wait John messaged to inform us that all the cars were safe and have been moved to higher ground. We were very grateful for their help, without which we would not have any peace of mind.
From Kukup Island, we proceeded to one of the floating fish farms to look at more samples of marine fauna. We saw only oysters, horseshoe crabs and bamboo sharks at this one. We returned to the mainland for lunch. We had lunch at yet another shabby Malay seafood restaurant.
The food came in quite generous portions but was so poorly seasoned and cooked that it was far from satisfactory. The calamari rings were so tough, abrasive and dry that you could scrub pots and pans with them. When the prawns arrived in a lukewarm anaemic soup of salt water with shavings of pineapple and onions, I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Here was my anniversary treat to my parents and it fell completely short of everyone's expectations. We weren't forced to eat halal food on my first trip to the seagrass site, so I had expected to get good food again on subsequent trips.
I promised to take my parents out to high tea someplace else to make up for the disappointing meals we had in what was supposed to be Seafood Central. We started our long journey home after lunch with breaks in between so Covert Dad and I could take turns at the wheel. This trip may not have been a huge success but my parents enjoyed their unforgettable experience at the seagrass meadows and were happy with the thought and effort I had put into making their trip a special one.
Saturday, 22nd November - Sunday, 23rd November 2008: Deeply Boring Wedding Weekend.
After months of doing preparatory work for the Malaysian Nature Society's Open Day to be held at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), I had to delegate the job of coordinating the Green Living booth and activities to others and forgo the joy of being there to coordinate the event, as I had to be in Kuantan for my cousin's wedding the very same weekend.
I labelled all the boxes and bags of games equipment and educational and outreach materials, delivered them to one of my volunteers, and watched wistfully as my volunteers got ready for the Big Day.
I have nothing much to report about the wedding in Kuantan except that the Battletank performed really well on the road and that an almost-full tank of Compressed Natural Gas could last me 197 kilometres.
I would also add that with the exception of mindfully and deliberately green weddings, all weddings are wasteful, unnecessary and uninteresting to anyone but the couple. Let me clarify that my cousin and I drifted apart in our teenage years due to vastly different values.
As I have said, I have nothing to report on the wedding except that it was a waste of my weekend and I could have spent the 2 days doing Green Living outreach activities and volunteering at the SPCA animal shelter instead.
I was glad to be back at the parental home by 0300h Monday to tend to the needs of Chocky and Amber.
Chocky is happy to have his photo taken. Amber isn’t so sure.
Saturday, 29th November 2008 – Sunday, 30th November 2008: Ferrety Weekend
I have had a mildly challenging week dealing with the long-tailed macaques that come by to the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters from the neighbouring secondary forest. Two alpha males have discovered that my compost heap was a veritable treasure trove of delights (we had persimmon, mangosteen, guava and mango this week) and had trashed my neat little compost heap.
As if the gratuitous mayhem wasn’t enough, they had also bitten through the bottle of Diarrid that I had left on the porch table and imbibed the contents, pooed in the driveway and flung Jake’s bike helmet clear off its storage space.
And so I’ve spent an unnecessary amount of time cleaning up after everyone all week.
Spent much of Saturday at the SPCA, as usual. Rose and Jane, our weekend staff, were present to assist in the animal surrenders and adoptions, so the staff and volunteers weren’t quite as overwhelmed with work. I came in through the shelter gates to find a ferret in a cage on the front table. Apparently, a man spotted the ferret running across the road while he was driving. He stopped the car and picked the very tame ferret up to stop the ferret from getting run over by moving vehicles or attacked by stray dogs and cats, and brought the ferret over to the SPCA.
I was sorely tempted to adopt the ferret for Jake, but was concerned that he (the ferret) may not get along with the cats. I asked Chelvy for Pearly’s number, as Pearly has a female ferret and this good-natured male ferret would make a great addition to her family. Chelvy and Dr. Pushpa were circumspect about letting me have Pearly’s number because they didn’t want the ferret to be used for breeding purposes. While I was trying to persuade Rose and Chelvy to give me Pearly’s number, a young couple who had come to bring their cat for a booster shot asked to adopt the ferret as they were enamoured by his endearing personality and appearance. The shelter officers decided that it was in the best interests of the ferret to authorise the couple to adopt the ferret as they have the means and time to look after an additional animal companion.
Before we bade goodbye to the ferret, Wolfhound and I had the opportunity to play with the engaging little ferret and have our pictures taken with him:
Before commencing animal care work, I moseyed around our Charity Shop and was delighted to find 2 almost-new covered cat litter trays. I have always wanted a second one to replace the Rowdies’ conventional litter tray. Jane came in and had me explain how to use a covered litter tray to her. Then Rose came in and wanted one of the litter trays for herself. In the end, I let the 2 ladies purchase the covered litter trays although I had spotted the trays first and wanted them for myself. The ladies are, after all, our animal shelter’s part-time staff and the savings would mean much more to them than to me.
I went up to the shelter Bungalow to collect copies of the UDAW Petition and to discuss the preparations for our SPCA Christmas Paw-ty with the officers. Nicole informed me that 2 of the dogs, Zack and Boobie, have ringworm, so I offered to give them medicated baths. And so Nicole, Glyn and I got down to work washing all the Bungalow dogs.
My favourite rescued dog right now has to be Angel, a victim of senseless brutality. Angel lost her eyesight and is lame in one leg as a result of an unprovoked attack by a mob who saw her as an easy target. The SPCA (prosecuting under the power of the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Dept. of Veterinary Services) lost the court case due to a lack of evidence as to the identity of the perpetrators, and the Dept. of Veterinary Services (“DVS”) had, after the decision was rendered, advised the SPCA to put Angel to sleep.
This was an easy directive from a party that was not the one responsible for the care of Angel since the day of the rescue. No one loved Angel as we did, or realised what a miracle it is that she remained such a sweet-natured and trusting dog despite her night of terror, or watched her progress as she learned to cope with her newfound blindness. It is easy to request the euthanasia of an animal you have not had the opportunity to love. The SPCA Inspectorate was adamant that we keep Angel, and care for her, and love her as a member of our special family.
(Photos of Angel to follow as soon as possible)
We washed and medicated all the dogs (Bailey, Poodley, Zack, Angel, Girlie and Boobie), towelled them off and cleaned their ears and treated them for ear mites. We had to stop by 1700h as it had begun to rain. The 3 of us walked down the hill to the shops for an early dinner. Glyn was disturbed by the number of stray cats in the area. There were dozens of pregnant cats, nursing queens and kittens. This reflected badly on the SPCA as it is an indication that we do not take responsibility for the stray animals directly beyond our shelter gates.
Glyn has since put forward a proposal to the shelter officers and committee to have a campaign to spay and neuter the strays and have them ear-tipped for future identification. As an added incentive, we would inform the shopkeepers that the cats would be dewormed, de-ticked and given medical check-ups. I think it is a capital idea and very much in line with the principles of Mission Help (SPCA’s initiative) and Project Second Chance (my own initiative), and Nicole and I were quick to offer our support and assistance. With a little dedication and proper organisation, this mass neutering campaign of street animals could be one of the SPCA’s greatest success stories.
I went back to the SPCA shelter after our dinner break, as Nicole and Glyn had some work to clear off, and I wanted to help Linda and Sugen with the cleaning of the shelter. Linda was cleaning the Maternity Kennels as I got back. I got to work soaping, scrubbing and disinfecting the Cattery, Central Area, Puppy Area and Front Admin/Reception Area. We finished cleaning by 1915h. I rinsed out and put away the mops and pails and took out the trash before cleaning myself up and heading home after sundown.
Reached the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters, tidied the place up, fed and cleaned up after the Rowdies (Keisha included – she is back for a 2-week stay as Hui-Min is away at a Buddhist meditation retreat) and sorted out the work clothes that I had to iron. Stopped by Tesco on my way back to the parental home to pick up supplies for my birthday party next week.
Spent Sunday back at the parental home washing the dogs, tidying the parental home, polishing the furniture, cleaning the Battletank, doing the laundry and ironing and catching up on my reading and correspondence.
For my birthday, I would like to have 10 hours of sleep.
“Happiness is a matter of one's most ordinary and everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self.” - Iris Murdoch.
Mum and I crossing the suspension bridge at the Kukup Island National Park.
A motto at the Kukup Island National Park that Dad and I really liked.
A thorny sea cucumber: Another one of those things that both fascinate and repulse Mum.
A huge-ass sea cucumber that Mum spotted and I picked up.
Mum and Dad at the Kukup Jetty
(For more photos of our trip, please go to: my MNS activities photo album)
My first two trips to the seagrass beds at the Pulai River Estuary had been deeply gratifying and wondrous ones, and I thought it fair to afford my parents the opportunity to visit the seagrass beds with me on my next trip to see the marine fauna there.
And so I renewed the parents' Malaysian Nature Society membership and registered them for the November trip as a wedding anniversary gift to them. It was an occasion of great excitement for them even though I had reminded them that they may have to rough it out a little.
After a long drive down South with numerous breaks in between, we finally arrived in Nusa Bestari and checked in to our rooms at Euro Hotel before meeting up with the others in the lobby and driving in convoy to the SOS (Save Our Seahorses) Research Station in Pendas. We offered a lift to a particular Mr. Soh, the only other senior citizen in the group, who coincidentally turned out to be a retired schoolteacher as well, and he and Covert Dad bonded quickly and became firm friends throughout the trip.
While the tenderfoots were being briefed on their duties at the Research Station, Serina pulled me aside to inform me of a hostile presence at the seagrass beds, and we discussed whether or not to confront this person head -on or to go to the press to correct any misinformation later. There has been much commercial interest in the seagrass meadows and the profiteers discovered that the most compelling way of persuading the State Government that the site should make way for development was to tell the authorities and media that there was nothing of value living at the site. Our job as conservationists was to present evidence to the contrary and state our case categorically.
We took the boats to the seagrass meadow around 1745h and helped the volunteers off the boats. Covert Dad and Covert Mum were thrilled to find themselves standing on solid ground in what seemed like the middle of the sea. Covert Mum's sharp eyes detected movements almost immediately and picked out horseshoe crabs, thorny sea cucumbers, large tiger-striped sea cucumbers, pincushion sea stars and sea squirts. It filled me with warmth inside to see them marvelling at the unique marine fauna and express amazement at the experience of being at such an ecologically sensitive and little-known marine habitat.
Unfortunately, due to the heavy rains in the afternoon, the sky grew dark rather early and visibility soon became a problem. As such, the team was not able to spot and tag any seahorses or alligator pipefish on Saturday. I was disappointed, but the parents were really good sports and were able to appreciate that Nature doesn't stay put just to oblige humans.
We adjourned to dinner at Saujana, a Malay seafood restaurant. The food was terrible and overpriced. We reached Euro Hotel after 2300h for some much needed sleep. Woke up on Sunday to tidy up, shower and proceed to Old Town Cafe for a sumptuous breakfast. We then checked out of the hotel and drove in convoy to the Kukup Island National Park.
After the preliminary briefing, we took a boat to Kukup Island, 50% of which was submerged right now due to the monsoon rains. We climbed up the watchtower, walked across the suspension bridge and walked along the boardwalk. We saw lots of sea snails, volutes, tree-climbing crabs, magpie robins, giant mudskippers, blue-spotted mudskippers, and dog-faced water snakes. Covert Mum got to see her favourite giant mudskippers, which both repulsed and fascinated her.
Just as we were arriving at the second watchtower, our park guide received a call from his office that the coastal water level was rising and that our cars, which were parked in the compound of the marine park office, were in danger of being flooded out.
Hui-Min and Bushcraft John gallantly offered to return to the marine park office to move all our cars to higher ground so that the rest of us would not have to cut short our Island trip.
We completed our trek of Kukup Island and returned to the jetty to wait for our boat, during which wait John messaged to inform us that all the cars were safe and have been moved to higher ground. We were very grateful for their help, without which we would not have any peace of mind.
From Kukup Island, we proceeded to one of the floating fish farms to look at more samples of marine fauna. We saw only oysters, horseshoe crabs and bamboo sharks at this one. We returned to the mainland for lunch. We had lunch at yet another shabby Malay seafood restaurant.
The food came in quite generous portions but was so poorly seasoned and cooked that it was far from satisfactory. The calamari rings were so tough, abrasive and dry that you could scrub pots and pans with them. When the prawns arrived in a lukewarm anaemic soup of salt water with shavings of pineapple and onions, I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Here was my anniversary treat to my parents and it fell completely short of everyone's expectations. We weren't forced to eat halal food on my first trip to the seagrass site, so I had expected to get good food again on subsequent trips.
I promised to take my parents out to high tea someplace else to make up for the disappointing meals we had in what was supposed to be Seafood Central. We started our long journey home after lunch with breaks in between so Covert Dad and I could take turns at the wheel. This trip may not have been a huge success but my parents enjoyed their unforgettable experience at the seagrass meadows and were happy with the thought and effort I had put into making their trip a special one.
Saturday, 22nd November - Sunday, 23rd November 2008: Deeply Boring Wedding Weekend.
After months of doing preparatory work for the Malaysian Nature Society's Open Day to be held at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), I had to delegate the job of coordinating the Green Living booth and activities to others and forgo the joy of being there to coordinate the event, as I had to be in Kuantan for my cousin's wedding the very same weekend.
I labelled all the boxes and bags of games equipment and educational and outreach materials, delivered them to one of my volunteers, and watched wistfully as my volunteers got ready for the Big Day.
I have nothing much to report about the wedding in Kuantan except that the Battletank performed really well on the road and that an almost-full tank of Compressed Natural Gas could last me 197 kilometres.
I would also add that with the exception of mindfully and deliberately green weddings, all weddings are wasteful, unnecessary and uninteresting to anyone but the couple. Let me clarify that my cousin and I drifted apart in our teenage years due to vastly different values.
As I have said, I have nothing to report on the wedding except that it was a waste of my weekend and I could have spent the 2 days doing Green Living outreach activities and volunteering at the SPCA animal shelter instead.
I was glad to be back at the parental home by 0300h Monday to tend to the needs of Chocky and Amber.
Chocky is happy to have his photo taken. Amber isn’t so sure.
Saturday, 29th November 2008 – Sunday, 30th November 2008: Ferrety Weekend
I have had a mildly challenging week dealing with the long-tailed macaques that come by to the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters from the neighbouring secondary forest. Two alpha males have discovered that my compost heap was a veritable treasure trove of delights (we had persimmon, mangosteen, guava and mango this week) and had trashed my neat little compost heap.
As if the gratuitous mayhem wasn’t enough, they had also bitten through the bottle of Diarrid that I had left on the porch table and imbibed the contents, pooed in the driveway and flung Jake’s bike helmet clear off its storage space.
And so I’ve spent an unnecessary amount of time cleaning up after everyone all week.
Spent much of Saturday at the SPCA, as usual. Rose and Jane, our weekend staff, were present to assist in the animal surrenders and adoptions, so the staff and volunteers weren’t quite as overwhelmed with work. I came in through the shelter gates to find a ferret in a cage on the front table. Apparently, a man spotted the ferret running across the road while he was driving. He stopped the car and picked the very tame ferret up to stop the ferret from getting run over by moving vehicles or attacked by stray dogs and cats, and brought the ferret over to the SPCA.
I was sorely tempted to adopt the ferret for Jake, but was concerned that he (the ferret) may not get along with the cats. I asked Chelvy for Pearly’s number, as Pearly has a female ferret and this good-natured male ferret would make a great addition to her family. Chelvy and Dr. Pushpa were circumspect about letting me have Pearly’s number because they didn’t want the ferret to be used for breeding purposes. While I was trying to persuade Rose and Chelvy to give me Pearly’s number, a young couple who had come to bring their cat for a booster shot asked to adopt the ferret as they were enamoured by his endearing personality and appearance. The shelter officers decided that it was in the best interests of the ferret to authorise the couple to adopt the ferret as they have the means and time to look after an additional animal companion.
Before we bade goodbye to the ferret, Wolfhound and I had the opportunity to play with the engaging little ferret and have our pictures taken with him:
Before commencing animal care work, I moseyed around our Charity Shop and was delighted to find 2 almost-new covered cat litter trays. I have always wanted a second one to replace the Rowdies’ conventional litter tray. Jane came in and had me explain how to use a covered litter tray to her. Then Rose came in and wanted one of the litter trays for herself. In the end, I let the 2 ladies purchase the covered litter trays although I had spotted the trays first and wanted them for myself. The ladies are, after all, our animal shelter’s part-time staff and the savings would mean much more to them than to me.
I went up to the shelter Bungalow to collect copies of the UDAW Petition and to discuss the preparations for our SPCA Christmas Paw-ty with the officers. Nicole informed me that 2 of the dogs, Zack and Boobie, have ringworm, so I offered to give them medicated baths. And so Nicole, Glyn and I got down to work washing all the Bungalow dogs.
My favourite rescued dog right now has to be Angel, a victim of senseless brutality. Angel lost her eyesight and is lame in one leg as a result of an unprovoked attack by a mob who saw her as an easy target. The SPCA (prosecuting under the power of the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Dept. of Veterinary Services) lost the court case due to a lack of evidence as to the identity of the perpetrators, and the Dept. of Veterinary Services (“DVS”) had, after the decision was rendered, advised the SPCA to put Angel to sleep.
This was an easy directive from a party that was not the one responsible for the care of Angel since the day of the rescue. No one loved Angel as we did, or realised what a miracle it is that she remained such a sweet-natured and trusting dog despite her night of terror, or watched her progress as she learned to cope with her newfound blindness. It is easy to request the euthanasia of an animal you have not had the opportunity to love. The SPCA Inspectorate was adamant that we keep Angel, and care for her, and love her as a member of our special family.
(Photos of Angel to follow as soon as possible)
We washed and medicated all the dogs (Bailey, Poodley, Zack, Angel, Girlie and Boobie), towelled them off and cleaned their ears and treated them for ear mites. We had to stop by 1700h as it had begun to rain. The 3 of us walked down the hill to the shops for an early dinner. Glyn was disturbed by the number of stray cats in the area. There were dozens of pregnant cats, nursing queens and kittens. This reflected badly on the SPCA as it is an indication that we do not take responsibility for the stray animals directly beyond our shelter gates.
Glyn has since put forward a proposal to the shelter officers and committee to have a campaign to spay and neuter the strays and have them ear-tipped for future identification. As an added incentive, we would inform the shopkeepers that the cats would be dewormed, de-ticked and given medical check-ups. I think it is a capital idea and very much in line with the principles of Mission Help (SPCA’s initiative) and Project Second Chance (my own initiative), and Nicole and I were quick to offer our support and assistance. With a little dedication and proper organisation, this mass neutering campaign of street animals could be one of the SPCA’s greatest success stories.
I went back to the SPCA shelter after our dinner break, as Nicole and Glyn had some work to clear off, and I wanted to help Linda and Sugen with the cleaning of the shelter. Linda was cleaning the Maternity Kennels as I got back. I got to work soaping, scrubbing and disinfecting the Cattery, Central Area, Puppy Area and Front Admin/Reception Area. We finished cleaning by 1915h. I rinsed out and put away the mops and pails and took out the trash before cleaning myself up and heading home after sundown.
Reached the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters, tidied the place up, fed and cleaned up after the Rowdies (Keisha included – she is back for a 2-week stay as Hui-Min is away at a Buddhist meditation retreat) and sorted out the work clothes that I had to iron. Stopped by Tesco on my way back to the parental home to pick up supplies for my birthday party next week.
Spent Sunday back at the parental home washing the dogs, tidying the parental home, polishing the furniture, cleaning the Battletank, doing the laundry and ironing and catching up on my reading and correspondence.
For my birthday, I would like to have 10 hours of sleep.
“Happiness is a matter of one's most ordinary and everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self.” - Iris Murdoch.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
Animal Capers, Bi-Fuel Retrofit and other news.
Thurs, 23rd Oct - Monday, 27th Oct 2008: Festival of Wings 2008
With less than a week to go before my departure from my firm, I had been spending most of my working hours completing status reports and conducting due diligence on the files for which I was responsible. The Human Resource Dept had requested me to complete an exit interview, and Covert Boss spoke to me about it and thanked me for my 'honest, fair and generous' evaluation of the firm. He invited me to dinner on Thursday, together with 4 of the partners and another lawyer who was also leaving at the end of the month, and we adjourned to a restaurant-cum-salsa-club at a hotel for dinner.
I was horrified by the menu. The main courses were listed thus: "120-day old veal calf..." and "milk-fed baby lamb". What do they expect, that we'd exclaim: "Mmmm, yummy! Just what I've always wanted!"? I plumped for an avocado and rocket lettuce salad instead, as it was the only bloodless thing on the menu.
On Friday, the firm had a little post-Hari Raya Aidilfitri party at the office. We had invited former staff and some of the other people we work with, and we spent the entire day eating and being unproductive.
I left work early to go to the Kuala Selangor Nature Park on Friday evening, as the Malaysian Nature Society would be having its annual birdwatching event, Festival of Wings, at the Park.
MAP OF THE KUALA SELANGOR NATURE PARK
I was happy to meet Bushcraft Ashleigh at the hostel. It was too dark to do any trekking or trail clearing by the time we arrived, and so we had dinner and waited for the other volunteers to arrive. Despite our earlier plans to booze the night away in the Great Outdoors, I was out like a light by 0030h.
We would be assisting with the Tree Planting Project and the guided mangrove walks on Saturday. We greeted the local schoolchildren in the morning, did a roll call, handed out the day kits to the participants, and proceeded to the tree-planting site. We put on our gloves and Wellington boots and took up a planting pole each. The seedlings were already at the site and the site was marked with bamboo pieces to let us know how far apart the plants should be. I asked the teenagers under my care to plant at least 10 each, and to pick up any litter they see (mangrove forests act as rubbish traps for the waste that gets carried downstream). I set a good example by working hard and planting at least a dozen trees, and the girls did a good job of doing the same. The boys were far more playful and inattentive and made me laugh with all their grunts, groans and sound effects while digging the holes, which prompted Ashleigh to chide them for not taking their work seriously.
We finished around 1230h and got the children to collect all the rubbish to be loaded onto the truck. We cleaned ourselves up after returning the wellies and gloves, which were heavy and black with mud. We then had lunch and let the teens rest before proceeding with the mangrove guided walks in the afternoon. As with the tree-planting session earlier, the girls again outshone the boys. Ash and I were delighted by the girls' knowledge of mangrove ecosystems and natural history. I foresee that in 20 years, the number of female cabinet ministers, corporate CEOs, scientists, doctors and professors would outnumber males 3:1.
Festival of Wings 2008: The schoolchildren are hard at work planting the mangrove saplings.
Hui-Min and I returned to our Hostel to shower after seeing the schoolchildren off, and it was then that Hui-Min proposed visiting the Firefly Colony that night. We managed to round up 7 others who were interested and booked our boats through the Park officers and left at 1900h for Kampung Kuantan.
We didn't have to wait long to board our boats. We got into our boats and pushed off to the banks of the river where the Berembang trees are. I was sad to see the depletion in the firefly population. The fireflies are part of our natural heritage and are unique because they are probably the only specie (Pteroptye Tener) to synchronise their flashing. Erosion of the riverbanks has destroyed many Berembang trees, and light and noise pollution has affected the fireflies' reproductive cycles. I intend to draft a petition to the State Government and the Sultan to create a buffer zone for the fireflies. It takes very little cost and effort on our part, and requires only political will, but it would save the firefly colony from extinction.
Returned to the Park to find that our hungry friends who had opted not to go for the firefly outing were still listening to the closing speeches and dinner had not been served. We sat through the final 2 speeches and prize-giving ceremony with them and devoured our dinner after that. Dinner was followed by music and dancing led by girls from an indigenous community. And so Saturday came to an end amid much laughter and camaraderie.
We didn't have any specific duties on Sunday, as our young visitors from several orphanages were there with their teachers and carers and did not require our assistance in their programmes. During breakfast, Hui-Min and I noticed a Silver Leaf Monkey begging for the cucumber slices from our nasi lemak. I pointed out that the monkey was badly injured and that part of the skull at the back of its head had been smashed open, and it looked like the result of a catapult attack. I was very upset that I didn't have my can of Woundsarex with me. Alas, it was Sunday, and all the pet stores and vet clinics were closed, and would remain closed until Tuesday, as Monday was a public holiday.
I went to the pharmacy and bought a bottle of acriflavine solution, and improvised and made a spray bottle out of my plastic cologne bottle. I went back to where I last saw the monkey and lured it down from the tree using a bunch of bananas. The monkey ambled feebly up to me to take the banana and I sprayed the acriflavine directly into his wound. He did not flinch but looked at me with knowing eyes, as though he realised that I was trying to help him get better. I sprayed the wound a second time and a third, to make sure I had covered all surfaces to prevent further infection. Maggots dropped out of the wound. The monkey did not scratch or struggle but merely let me do my work. We couldn't take him with us as he was a protected species and besides, we did not have a cage with us, so we engaged the Park officers' help in calling for a vet as soon as possible. I left the bottle of acriflavine with one of them so they could continue to administer the medicine after we had left.
I went back to the parental home in the late afternoon as it is on the way back to the City. The dogs were happy to see me. I gave Amber a bath and cleaned up after the dogs. I couldn't help but wonder how the silver leaf monkey was doing, and if there'd be anyone looking out for him in future.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Monday was Deepavali Day, and I spent the entire day visiting friends. I had two breakfasts (at Devaky's and Bala's place), one lunch (at Vimala's place) and 2 dinners (at Suresh's place and at the Vellurajans' next door).
I must say the festive mood was somewhat affected by the detention of the HINDRAF members/activists and the declaration of HINDRAF as an illegal society by our not-too-bright Home Minister. My wish this Deepavali is to see true participatory democracy in my country; that one day any concerned party could deliver a memorandum to the Prime Minister without being arrested and deemed subversive. Until that happens, Malaysian society cannot declare itself to be a compassionate and inclusive one.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wednesday, 29th October 2008: Compressed Natural Gas Retrofit
My final day of legal practice was effectively 28th October 2008, and I left the firm on good terms with everyone and knowing that I would always be welcomed back into the legal profession if I so chose.
I spent the next few days getting my affairs in order before I started my new job. I had the Battletank retrofitted with a Compressed Natural Gas tank for greater savings and fuel economy, and because CNG vehicles, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have the following advantages over petrol ones:
* they reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 90-97%;
* they reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25%;
* they reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 35-60%;
* they potentially reduce non-methane hydrocarbon emissions by 50-75%
* they emit fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants;
* they emit little or no particulate matter; and
* they eliminate evaporative emissions.
Although there may be arguments that choosing one fossil fuel over another is only delaying the solution (of finding cleaner, renewable, alternative fuels), alternatives are practically non-existent. Hydrogen fuel cell and compressed air vehicles are not yet on the market and public transport is largely unavailable at my new workplace. Having weighed all options, I made the decision to go for a CNG retrofit and I have been extremely proud of my little bi-fuel Battletank since. Having the option of a cleaner fossil fuel is better than having no alternative at all.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sunday, 2nd November 2008: World Animal Day Celebrations at the KL Tower
World Animal Day event announcement and poster.
Hui Min and I getting up close and personal with a white bull terrier. All white bull terriers remind me of Bodger from “The Incredible Journey” (remade as “Homeward Bound”).
For more photos of the event, please go to my SPCA activities photo album.
Eugene, Hui Min and I met up at the LRT station on Sunday morning as I had registered the 3 of us as volunteers for the SPCA World Animal Day Celebrations at the terrace of the KL Tower. This was to be the biggest World Animal Day celebrations in our country yet. The 3 of us were assigned the duty of Pet Marshals, to ensure that people cleaned up after their animal companions and kept them on leash.
A minor misunderstanding occurred between the SPCA people and the KL Tower management when we discovered that they had put up an exhibit of exotic animals in tiny, bare cages at the entrance to the event area. We stood firm on our stand that keeping such animals, even if captive bred, was wrong, and that it was against the very principle and objectives of World Animal Day. Thankfully, the KL Tower management was accommodating and agreed to remove the exhibits, although we could see that they were not entirely convinced by our argument and had no intention of doing away with animal exhibits in future.
The volunteers were given "Crew" t-shirts and assigned our posts. I was to lead the Pet Marshals. Nicole, Eugene and I briefed the other volunteers in our team. We had between us two pails, mops, disinfectant, toilet paper and pet waste bags.
While on my rounds, I was thrilled to find nature photos taken by our friend Andy Paul among the exhibited photos and called him up to ask him to come over. Andy came over with his lovely lady friend Maureen and bought us ice cream, and later I met some of my other friends from the Malaysian Nature Society and from college at the event as well. Hiphop dancers, capoeira exponents, goons in Star Wars suits and sponsors from the pet products and services industry made the event a colourful and exciting one.
The animal visitors were largely very well-behaved and their people were a responsible bunch, which made our work a joy. The people came equipped with their own paper and waste bags and picked up after their animal wards, and many insisted on taking responsibility for mopping up after any 'accidents'. Apart from a scuffle between 2 male dogs which left one with a torn ear (the SPCA vets were on hand to stitch up the poor doggie's ear) and 2 cats whose people did not realise that their cats were showing signs of heat exhaustion (I had to gently lead them to the misting fans, hold the cats up to the fans and give them water), everything ran as smoothly as you could expect.
It started raining around 1540h and we hastened to help the booths move their goods out of the way of the rain. The dog obedience and agility contests were still going on under the tents in the field, and Eugene, Hui Min and I commenced cleaning the Terrace area and putting things back in their boxes. All the visitors and most of the volunteers had left by 1800h, and I did not like to see the SPCA staff having to pack up on their own, so the 3 of us stayed to help clean, dismantle and pack everything and load them back onto the trucks.
We finished work around 2000h and were completely flaked. Nicole and Glyn gave Hui Min and I a ride back to our cars, and we were so tired we didn't even want dinner. It had been a backbreaking but utterly wonderful and rewarding day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Friday, 7th November 2008: SPCA Party Animals Night @ the Boathouse
Nicole and I helping Poodley and Mylo make friends at the SPCA Party Animals Night
I have always believed in everyday miracles and that good things happen to you when you least expect it, and last week I experienced one such Good Medicine moment. One of the Malaysian Nature Society senior volunteers, Kim, had asked for more information when I had forwarded e-mail announcements of the SPCA Party Animals Dinner. Kim then went to the SPCA office, paid for one ticket, and emailed me to inform me that she was making a gift of the dinner ticket to me, as she was not planning on attending the event anyway, but had wanted to support our fundraising efforts. "Enjoy yourself at the dinner," she had written, "You deserve it, for all the things you do for animals and the environment." I was very touched and grateful, and after Party Animals Night, I appreciated having been given the opportunity to attend it even more.
It was a pet-friendly event held at a restaurant whose owner has a rescued dog named Mylo. The highlight of the evening was not the food but the company of well-behaved, friendly and polite dogs. I had a great time in the company of cuddly animals and people who are as dedicated to their animal companions as I am. The food was excellent and in my opinion, really value-for-money and we were offered 2nd and 3rd helpings of everything, including dessert (brownies ala mode!).
It was good to be able to discuss animals for a few hours as a brief respite from political discussions and premature evaluations of Barack Obama, although I do enjoy reading and discussing politics very much. Whether or not Obama and the Democrats are able to deliver the promises made in their campaign manifesto remains to be seen. I would try to keep my expectations realistic.
Went back to the Bachelor Officers' Quarters at midnight, in Python Mode after my huge meal, too sleepy to do anything but thank Kim by text message for my wonderful night out.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Saturday, 8th November 2008: SPCA Saturday
Feel the love! This little doggie was trying to give me a kiss while I was cleaning kennels at the SPCA. Photo taken by Mun Yee on 8th November 2008.
Dropped the recyclables off at the community centre and arrived at the SPCA at noon. There were 6 student volunteers from The One Academy helping out at the animal shelter today, and they were wasting a lot of water, time and energy just hosing the floor down and sweeping water all over the place. I prepared 2 pails of soap and disinfectant and taught them how to clean out the cat baskets, cages and litter trays and swab and scrub the Cattery floor and gutters. I explained to them that keeping the animal shelter clean is essential to the animals' health and safety, and it would encourage visitors to come more often and spend more time with their potential adoptees. The boys were hardly enthusiastic and showed no real passion for the work, as they merely had to complete 10 hours of required community service for their school credits, but at least they were doing the work, albeit sullenly and in slow motion.
Mun Yee and Hot Rachel (not to be confused with Pub Buddy Rachel or Dysfunctional Divorcee Rachel) arrived just as Rose and I were about to begin washing and medicating the dogs in Kennels G & H. They joined Rose, the Kindest Man in the World (a middle-aged Caucasian man who volunteers twice a week at the shelter but whose real name I do not know) and me in washing each dog and rinsing them with tick solution. I let Mun Yee and Rachel take over the dog-washing duties while I removed all the food and water bowls and washed and disinfected each enclosure.
Under normal circumstances, we would not have spent too much time with the Traumatised Dogs, a subgroup of abuse cases who have never learned to trust humans again. We would have washed those that allowed us to wash them, and not be too insistent on going into battle with those who either bit us or harmed themselves if we so much as stared at them.
But the Kindest Man in the World wanted to stay on in the kennels and talk to the Traumatised Dogs to get them to see that not all humans are bad. I brought him some kibbles in a saucer so we could sit on the ground and talk to the dogs and feed them kibbles one by one. I felt sorry that I could not come everyday to help rehabilitate the dogs. Coming in once a week isn't often enough to help the dogs learn to trust again. The Kindest Man in the World then informed me that he would be coming in more often from now on to help rehabilitate the abused animals. My sense of gratitude was palpable. So shines a good deed in a weary world!
At 1600h it began to rain, as it is wont to do during the monsoon season. Mun Yee, Hot Rachel and I tidied the dog-washing things up and proceeded to clean the kennels instead. We cleaned the B-Extension, the cages and the puppy area. As the student-volunteers had earlier cleaned the Front Reception/Admin area and the Cattery, I had less cleaning to do today. We went out to the shops for tea, and Mun Yee handed me 3 bags of cat food for Project Second Chance before leaving with Hot Rachel.
I returned to the shelter after tea, put away the newspapers and donated items, cleaned up the administrative area, cleaned the Maternity Kennels and Hospital areas, cleaned myself up and rumbled back to the Bachelor Officers' Quarters.
I've been quite the captain of industry these 3 weeks. This coming weekend I would be taking my parents down to Johor to join me on my third seahorse data collection and conservation trip. And so I bid you adieu.
Covert Operations, Out!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
With less than a week to go before my departure from my firm, I had been spending most of my working hours completing status reports and conducting due diligence on the files for which I was responsible. The Human Resource Dept had requested me to complete an exit interview, and Covert Boss spoke to me about it and thanked me for my 'honest, fair and generous' evaluation of the firm. He invited me to dinner on Thursday, together with 4 of the partners and another lawyer who was also leaving at the end of the month, and we adjourned to a restaurant-cum-salsa-club at a hotel for dinner.
I was horrified by the menu. The main courses were listed thus: "120-day old veal calf..." and "milk-fed baby lamb". What do they expect, that we'd exclaim: "Mmmm, yummy! Just what I've always wanted!"? I plumped for an avocado and rocket lettuce salad instead, as it was the only bloodless thing on the menu.
On Friday, the firm had a little post-Hari Raya Aidilfitri party at the office. We had invited former staff and some of the other people we work with, and we spent the entire day eating and being unproductive.
I left work early to go to the Kuala Selangor Nature Park on Friday evening, as the Malaysian Nature Society would be having its annual birdwatching event, Festival of Wings, at the Park.
MAP OF THE KUALA SELANGOR NATURE PARK
I was happy to meet Bushcraft Ashleigh at the hostel. It was too dark to do any trekking or trail clearing by the time we arrived, and so we had dinner and waited for the other volunteers to arrive. Despite our earlier plans to booze the night away in the Great Outdoors, I was out like a light by 0030h.
We would be assisting with the Tree Planting Project and the guided mangrove walks on Saturday. We greeted the local schoolchildren in the morning, did a roll call, handed out the day kits to the participants, and proceeded to the tree-planting site. We put on our gloves and Wellington boots and took up a planting pole each. The seedlings were already at the site and the site was marked with bamboo pieces to let us know how far apart the plants should be. I asked the teenagers under my care to plant at least 10 each, and to pick up any litter they see (mangrove forests act as rubbish traps for the waste that gets carried downstream). I set a good example by working hard and planting at least a dozen trees, and the girls did a good job of doing the same. The boys were far more playful and inattentive and made me laugh with all their grunts, groans and sound effects while digging the holes, which prompted Ashleigh to chide them for not taking their work seriously.
We finished around 1230h and got the children to collect all the rubbish to be loaded onto the truck. We cleaned ourselves up after returning the wellies and gloves, which were heavy and black with mud. We then had lunch and let the teens rest before proceeding with the mangrove guided walks in the afternoon. As with the tree-planting session earlier, the girls again outshone the boys. Ash and I were delighted by the girls' knowledge of mangrove ecosystems and natural history. I foresee that in 20 years, the number of female cabinet ministers, corporate CEOs, scientists, doctors and professors would outnumber males 3:1.
Festival of Wings 2008: The schoolchildren are hard at work planting the mangrove saplings.
Hui-Min and I returned to our Hostel to shower after seeing the schoolchildren off, and it was then that Hui-Min proposed visiting the Firefly Colony that night. We managed to round up 7 others who were interested and booked our boats through the Park officers and left at 1900h for Kampung Kuantan.
We didn't have to wait long to board our boats. We got into our boats and pushed off to the banks of the river where the Berembang trees are. I was sad to see the depletion in the firefly population. The fireflies are part of our natural heritage and are unique because they are probably the only specie (Pteroptye Tener) to synchronise their flashing. Erosion of the riverbanks has destroyed many Berembang trees, and light and noise pollution has affected the fireflies' reproductive cycles. I intend to draft a petition to the State Government and the Sultan to create a buffer zone for the fireflies. It takes very little cost and effort on our part, and requires only political will, but it would save the firefly colony from extinction.
Returned to the Park to find that our hungry friends who had opted not to go for the firefly outing were still listening to the closing speeches and dinner had not been served. We sat through the final 2 speeches and prize-giving ceremony with them and devoured our dinner after that. Dinner was followed by music and dancing led by girls from an indigenous community. And so Saturday came to an end amid much laughter and camaraderie.
We didn't have any specific duties on Sunday, as our young visitors from several orphanages were there with their teachers and carers and did not require our assistance in their programmes. During breakfast, Hui-Min and I noticed a Silver Leaf Monkey begging for the cucumber slices from our nasi lemak. I pointed out that the monkey was badly injured and that part of the skull at the back of its head had been smashed open, and it looked like the result of a catapult attack. I was very upset that I didn't have my can of Woundsarex with me. Alas, it was Sunday, and all the pet stores and vet clinics were closed, and would remain closed until Tuesday, as Monday was a public holiday.
I went to the pharmacy and bought a bottle of acriflavine solution, and improvised and made a spray bottle out of my plastic cologne bottle. I went back to where I last saw the monkey and lured it down from the tree using a bunch of bananas. The monkey ambled feebly up to me to take the banana and I sprayed the acriflavine directly into his wound. He did not flinch but looked at me with knowing eyes, as though he realised that I was trying to help him get better. I sprayed the wound a second time and a third, to make sure I had covered all surfaces to prevent further infection. Maggots dropped out of the wound. The monkey did not scratch or struggle but merely let me do my work. We couldn't take him with us as he was a protected species and besides, we did not have a cage with us, so we engaged the Park officers' help in calling for a vet as soon as possible. I left the bottle of acriflavine with one of them so they could continue to administer the medicine after we had left.
I went back to the parental home in the late afternoon as it is on the way back to the City. The dogs were happy to see me. I gave Amber a bath and cleaned up after the dogs. I couldn't help but wonder how the silver leaf monkey was doing, and if there'd be anyone looking out for him in future.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Monday was Deepavali Day, and I spent the entire day visiting friends. I had two breakfasts (at Devaky's and Bala's place), one lunch (at Vimala's place) and 2 dinners (at Suresh's place and at the Vellurajans' next door).
I must say the festive mood was somewhat affected by the detention of the HINDRAF members/activists and the declaration of HINDRAF as an illegal society by our not-too-bright Home Minister. My wish this Deepavali is to see true participatory democracy in my country; that one day any concerned party could deliver a memorandum to the Prime Minister without being arrested and deemed subversive. Until that happens, Malaysian society cannot declare itself to be a compassionate and inclusive one.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Wednesday, 29th October 2008: Compressed Natural Gas Retrofit
My final day of legal practice was effectively 28th October 2008, and I left the firm on good terms with everyone and knowing that I would always be welcomed back into the legal profession if I so chose.
I spent the next few days getting my affairs in order before I started my new job. I had the Battletank retrofitted with a Compressed Natural Gas tank for greater savings and fuel economy, and because CNG vehicles, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have the following advantages over petrol ones:
* they reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 90-97%;
* they reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25%;
* they reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 35-60%;
* they potentially reduce non-methane hydrocarbon emissions by 50-75%
* they emit fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants;
* they emit little or no particulate matter; and
* they eliminate evaporative emissions.
Although there may be arguments that choosing one fossil fuel over another is only delaying the solution (of finding cleaner, renewable, alternative fuels), alternatives are practically non-existent. Hydrogen fuel cell and compressed air vehicles are not yet on the market and public transport is largely unavailable at my new workplace. Having weighed all options, I made the decision to go for a CNG retrofit and I have been extremely proud of my little bi-fuel Battletank since. Having the option of a cleaner fossil fuel is better than having no alternative at all.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sunday, 2nd November 2008: World Animal Day Celebrations at the KL Tower
World Animal Day event announcement and poster.
Hui Min and I getting up close and personal with a white bull terrier. All white bull terriers remind me of Bodger from “The Incredible Journey” (remade as “Homeward Bound”).
For more photos of the event, please go to my SPCA activities photo album.
Eugene, Hui Min and I met up at the LRT station on Sunday morning as I had registered the 3 of us as volunteers for the SPCA World Animal Day Celebrations at the terrace of the KL Tower. This was to be the biggest World Animal Day celebrations in our country yet. The 3 of us were assigned the duty of Pet Marshals, to ensure that people cleaned up after their animal companions and kept them on leash.
A minor misunderstanding occurred between the SPCA people and the KL Tower management when we discovered that they had put up an exhibit of exotic animals in tiny, bare cages at the entrance to the event area. We stood firm on our stand that keeping such animals, even if captive bred, was wrong, and that it was against the very principle and objectives of World Animal Day. Thankfully, the KL Tower management was accommodating and agreed to remove the exhibits, although we could see that they were not entirely convinced by our argument and had no intention of doing away with animal exhibits in future.
The volunteers were given "Crew" t-shirts and assigned our posts. I was to lead the Pet Marshals. Nicole, Eugene and I briefed the other volunteers in our team. We had between us two pails, mops, disinfectant, toilet paper and pet waste bags.
While on my rounds, I was thrilled to find nature photos taken by our friend Andy Paul among the exhibited photos and called him up to ask him to come over. Andy came over with his lovely lady friend Maureen and bought us ice cream, and later I met some of my other friends from the Malaysian Nature Society and from college at the event as well. Hiphop dancers, capoeira exponents, goons in Star Wars suits and sponsors from the pet products and services industry made the event a colourful and exciting one.
The animal visitors were largely very well-behaved and their people were a responsible bunch, which made our work a joy. The people came equipped with their own paper and waste bags and picked up after their animal wards, and many insisted on taking responsibility for mopping up after any 'accidents'. Apart from a scuffle between 2 male dogs which left one with a torn ear (the SPCA vets were on hand to stitch up the poor doggie's ear) and 2 cats whose people did not realise that their cats were showing signs of heat exhaustion (I had to gently lead them to the misting fans, hold the cats up to the fans and give them water), everything ran as smoothly as you could expect.
It started raining around 1540h and we hastened to help the booths move their goods out of the way of the rain. The dog obedience and agility contests were still going on under the tents in the field, and Eugene, Hui Min and I commenced cleaning the Terrace area and putting things back in their boxes. All the visitors and most of the volunteers had left by 1800h, and I did not like to see the SPCA staff having to pack up on their own, so the 3 of us stayed to help clean, dismantle and pack everything and load them back onto the trucks.
We finished work around 2000h and were completely flaked. Nicole and Glyn gave Hui Min and I a ride back to our cars, and we were so tired we didn't even want dinner. It had been a backbreaking but utterly wonderful and rewarding day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Friday, 7th November 2008: SPCA Party Animals Night @ the Boathouse
Nicole and I helping Poodley and Mylo make friends at the SPCA Party Animals Night
I have always believed in everyday miracles and that good things happen to you when you least expect it, and last week I experienced one such Good Medicine moment. One of the Malaysian Nature Society senior volunteers, Kim, had asked for more information when I had forwarded e-mail announcements of the SPCA Party Animals Dinner. Kim then went to the SPCA office, paid for one ticket, and emailed me to inform me that she was making a gift of the dinner ticket to me, as she was not planning on attending the event anyway, but had wanted to support our fundraising efforts. "Enjoy yourself at the dinner," she had written, "You deserve it, for all the things you do for animals and the environment." I was very touched and grateful, and after Party Animals Night, I appreciated having been given the opportunity to attend it even more.
It was a pet-friendly event held at a restaurant whose owner has a rescued dog named Mylo. The highlight of the evening was not the food but the company of well-behaved, friendly and polite dogs. I had a great time in the company of cuddly animals and people who are as dedicated to their animal companions as I am. The food was excellent and in my opinion, really value-for-money and we were offered 2nd and 3rd helpings of everything, including dessert (brownies ala mode!).
It was good to be able to discuss animals for a few hours as a brief respite from political discussions and premature evaluations of Barack Obama, although I do enjoy reading and discussing politics very much. Whether or not Obama and the Democrats are able to deliver the promises made in their campaign manifesto remains to be seen. I would try to keep my expectations realistic.
Went back to the Bachelor Officers' Quarters at midnight, in Python Mode after my huge meal, too sleepy to do anything but thank Kim by text message for my wonderful night out.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Saturday, 8th November 2008: SPCA Saturday
Feel the love! This little doggie was trying to give me a kiss while I was cleaning kennels at the SPCA. Photo taken by Mun Yee on 8th November 2008.
Dropped the recyclables off at the community centre and arrived at the SPCA at noon. There were 6 student volunteers from The One Academy helping out at the animal shelter today, and they were wasting a lot of water, time and energy just hosing the floor down and sweeping water all over the place. I prepared 2 pails of soap and disinfectant and taught them how to clean out the cat baskets, cages and litter trays and swab and scrub the Cattery floor and gutters. I explained to them that keeping the animal shelter clean is essential to the animals' health and safety, and it would encourage visitors to come more often and spend more time with their potential adoptees. The boys were hardly enthusiastic and showed no real passion for the work, as they merely had to complete 10 hours of required community service for their school credits, but at least they were doing the work, albeit sullenly and in slow motion.
Mun Yee and Hot Rachel (not to be confused with Pub Buddy Rachel or Dysfunctional Divorcee Rachel) arrived just as Rose and I were about to begin washing and medicating the dogs in Kennels G & H. They joined Rose, the Kindest Man in the World (a middle-aged Caucasian man who volunteers twice a week at the shelter but whose real name I do not know) and me in washing each dog and rinsing them with tick solution. I let Mun Yee and Rachel take over the dog-washing duties while I removed all the food and water bowls and washed and disinfected each enclosure.
Under normal circumstances, we would not have spent too much time with the Traumatised Dogs, a subgroup of abuse cases who have never learned to trust humans again. We would have washed those that allowed us to wash them, and not be too insistent on going into battle with those who either bit us or harmed themselves if we so much as stared at them.
But the Kindest Man in the World wanted to stay on in the kennels and talk to the Traumatised Dogs to get them to see that not all humans are bad. I brought him some kibbles in a saucer so we could sit on the ground and talk to the dogs and feed them kibbles one by one. I felt sorry that I could not come everyday to help rehabilitate the dogs. Coming in once a week isn't often enough to help the dogs learn to trust again. The Kindest Man in the World then informed me that he would be coming in more often from now on to help rehabilitate the abused animals. My sense of gratitude was palpable. So shines a good deed in a weary world!
At 1600h it began to rain, as it is wont to do during the monsoon season. Mun Yee, Hot Rachel and I tidied the dog-washing things up and proceeded to clean the kennels instead. We cleaned the B-Extension, the cages and the puppy area. As the student-volunteers had earlier cleaned the Front Reception/Admin area and the Cattery, I had less cleaning to do today. We went out to the shops for tea, and Mun Yee handed me 3 bags of cat food for Project Second Chance before leaving with Hot Rachel.
I returned to the shelter after tea, put away the newspapers and donated items, cleaned up the administrative area, cleaned the Maternity Kennels and Hospital areas, cleaned myself up and rumbled back to the Bachelor Officers' Quarters.
I've been quite the captain of industry these 3 weeks. This coming weekend I would be taking my parents down to Johor to join me on my third seahorse data collection and conservation trip. And so I bid you adieu.
Covert Operations, Out!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
Letter to the Editor: Logging of Additional Catchment Area Highly Irregular
(To read the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the Hulu Tembat Hydroelectric project, please go
HERE)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
LOGGING OF ADDITIONAL CATCHMENT AREA HIGHLY IRREGULAR
Upon viewing the Executive Summary of the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) on the Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Project undertaken by TNB, I am deeply concerned over the impact the project would have on endangered wildlife, and the transparency of the project itself.
According to the aforementioned document, “Timbers will be extracted from the proposed 6,130 ha of the inundated area (Tembat and Puah Reservoirs) and the Terengganu State Government has further decided to extract timber from the 12,620 ha of the proposed catchment areas around the Tembat and Puah Reservoirs.”
No justification was provided for the State Government’s decision to clear-log the additional area surrounding the inundation area. The logging of an area twice the size of the proposed dam is highly irregular and raises suspicions that certain parties are being enriched at the expense of the environment.
What is extremely worrying is that the DEIA study team has found evidence of the critically endangered Sumatran Rhinoceros is the vicinity of the project area.
The Summary also categorises the project area as being one of high biodiversity, and acknowledges that the loss of indigenous flora as a result of logging, land clearing and construction activities would be permanent.
Although the proposed logging would be according to ‘selective logging’ procedures, the Summary further acknowledges that the impact of ‘selective logging’ is still expected to be significant on mammals. Tree-felling and forest-clearing activities would kill wildlife and destroy habitat and food sources. Local extinction is a distinct possibility. The opening up of logging roads would also provide hunters, poachers and illegal loggers with access to the project area.
The mitigation measures listed in the said Summary will appear to any concerned, right-thinking citizen as being too idealistic and unlikely to be enforced and adhered to. What is also disturbing is how the proponents of hydroelectric projects in Malaysia promote their projects as being absolutely necessary and sustainable.
Malaysians must be able to ask themselves how indispensable is a project that is estimated to hasten the extinction of critically endangered species, and which authorizes the State Government to fill its coffers by impoverishing the environment and wreaking destruction on an area 3 times the size than is required.
An argument often relied on by dam project proponents is that the construction of new dams is essential to meet the growing demand for water supply. This is illogical as Malaysia does not suffer from insufficient rainfall. To meet the demand for water, it is critical that those in authority address the issues of poor management of water resources, substandard and obsolete water infrastructure and non-revenue water loss (through theft, leakages and faulty water metres). In 2005, Syabas reported non-revenue water to be 38% for Selangor. The solution to the challenge of ensuring sustainable water supply definitely does not lie in constructing an infinite number of dams in vital watershed areas.
The Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Project is touted to be an emission-free source of renewable energy once completed. Since all the parties concerned have already proceeded with the said Project, any objection to its construction at this point will be academic. However, we must remember that hydroelectric dams are not without environmental impact. The construction of hydroelectric dams causes significant and irreversible harm to wildlife, displacement of indigenous peoples and the destruction of important carbon sinks. Malaysia must look towards other forms of renewable energy such as solar and wind power, hydrogen fuel cells and biomass power and must be open to harnessing these technologies if we are serious about finding permanent solutions to the issue of power generation and supply without creating new environmental crises.
In the meantime, we hope that the Terengganu State Government and Terengganu State Forestry Department would be able to provide some insight into the reason for the logging of the additional 12,620 ha of the proposed catchment areas.
WONG EE LYNN
PETALING JAYA, SELANGOR
HERE)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
LOGGING OF ADDITIONAL CATCHMENT AREA HIGHLY IRREGULAR
Upon viewing the Executive Summary of the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) on the Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Project undertaken by TNB, I am deeply concerned over the impact the project would have on endangered wildlife, and the transparency of the project itself.
According to the aforementioned document, “Timbers will be extracted from the proposed 6,130 ha of the inundated area (Tembat and Puah Reservoirs) and the Terengganu State Government has further decided to extract timber from the 12,620 ha of the proposed catchment areas around the Tembat and Puah Reservoirs.”
No justification was provided for the State Government’s decision to clear-log the additional area surrounding the inundation area. The logging of an area twice the size of the proposed dam is highly irregular and raises suspicions that certain parties are being enriched at the expense of the environment.
What is extremely worrying is that the DEIA study team has found evidence of the critically endangered Sumatran Rhinoceros is the vicinity of the project area.
The Summary also categorises the project area as being one of high biodiversity, and acknowledges that the loss of indigenous flora as a result of logging, land clearing and construction activities would be permanent.
Although the proposed logging would be according to ‘selective logging’ procedures, the Summary further acknowledges that the impact of ‘selective logging’ is still expected to be significant on mammals. Tree-felling and forest-clearing activities would kill wildlife and destroy habitat and food sources. Local extinction is a distinct possibility. The opening up of logging roads would also provide hunters, poachers and illegal loggers with access to the project area.
The mitigation measures listed in the said Summary will appear to any concerned, right-thinking citizen as being too idealistic and unlikely to be enforced and adhered to. What is also disturbing is how the proponents of hydroelectric projects in Malaysia promote their projects as being absolutely necessary and sustainable.
Malaysians must be able to ask themselves how indispensable is a project that is estimated to hasten the extinction of critically endangered species, and which authorizes the State Government to fill its coffers by impoverishing the environment and wreaking destruction on an area 3 times the size than is required.
An argument often relied on by dam project proponents is that the construction of new dams is essential to meet the growing demand for water supply. This is illogical as Malaysia does not suffer from insufficient rainfall. To meet the demand for water, it is critical that those in authority address the issues of poor management of water resources, substandard and obsolete water infrastructure and non-revenue water loss (through theft, leakages and faulty water metres). In 2005, Syabas reported non-revenue water to be 38% for Selangor. The solution to the challenge of ensuring sustainable water supply definitely does not lie in constructing an infinite number of dams in vital watershed areas.
The Hulu Terengganu Hydroelectric Project is touted to be an emission-free source of renewable energy once completed. Since all the parties concerned have already proceeded with the said Project, any objection to its construction at this point will be academic. However, we must remember that hydroelectric dams are not without environmental impact. The construction of hydroelectric dams causes significant and irreversible harm to wildlife, displacement of indigenous peoples and the destruction of important carbon sinks. Malaysia must look towards other forms of renewable energy such as solar and wind power, hydrogen fuel cells and biomass power and must be open to harnessing these technologies if we are serious about finding permanent solutions to the issue of power generation and supply without creating new environmental crises.
In the meantime, we hope that the Terengganu State Government and Terengganu State Forestry Department would be able to provide some insight into the reason for the logging of the additional 12,620 ha of the proposed catchment areas.
WONG EE LYNN
PETALING JAYA, SELANGOR
Arse Luck Sunday
Thurs, 16 October - Sun, 19 Oct 2008: Arse Luck Sunday
Lynette, Kiri and I finally got to meet up on Thursday, weeks after Lynette's return from London. We met up for lunch at her hotel, exchanged gifts and hugs and spent an enjoyable 2 hours catching up on each other's lives.
I had been going back to the parental home after work every day since Sunday to look after Amber and Chocky, so it was Covert Twin's turn to look after the doggies on Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, I went back to the Bachelor Officers' Quarters and thought I had died and gone to heaven because the fridge produce drawer was full of CANDY! Liquorice allsorts in all colours of the rainbow, dark chocolate pastilles, liquorice-blackcurrant humbugs, red liquorice chews, chocolate-coated liquorice stubs, liquorice ropes, white chocolate bars, slabs of chocolate with alcohol-filled centres! Apparently, Jake's aunt had just returned from another trip to Australia and had got us all loads of candy. I think Jake’s aunt deserves an Auntie of the Year Award for her thoughtfulness and generosity. I am sure the local dentists would agree with my nomination. We spent the rest of the week scarfing candy until our teeth hurt.
Keisha came over for boarding on Friday night, as Hui-Min would be attending her cousin's wedding in Singapore. I love this arrangement because it allows Keisha to socialise with her old friends and because I love having guests, two-legged and four-legged, anyway.
Covert Mum and Covert Dad arrived at KLIA around 0230h on Saturday, and so I went back to the parental home to see them. I helped them with the unpacking, tidying up and laundry, and hand-washed their sweaters for them. I gave Amber a bath and brushed her teeth, but was concerned about Chocky's chesty cough and asked Covert Twin and his girl not to get Chocky's fur wet yet. I called up the vet to fix an appointment, crammed everyone into the Battletank, and off we went to see Dr. Peter. Dr. Peter diagnosed Chocky as having flu and fever, and gave him 2 shots to speed up the healing process. We clung to Chocky like rodeo cowboys to stop him from bucking. To reward him for being such a good boy, Covert Twin got him a huge new bag of Bil-Jac dog food.
After the vet visit, I resumed cleaning the parental home. Cleaned the living and dining rooms, kitchen and my bedroom. Took Amber on a car ride and a walk, took the parents out to dinner and did a load of ironing.
Sunday was Arse Luck Day. I took Amber for a walk in the morning and then proceeded to cook rice and prepare the vegetables for lunch. I suffered a non-fatal electric shock when I was straightening the cable of the rice cooker. I felt a jolt go through my left arm and the force threw me off my feet. My arm hurt as though I had been lifting weights. There was a burning sensation in the tip of my index finger, as though I had burned myself on a hot stove. I’ve had it with that rice cooker! The 20-year-old rice cooker has got to go. I will be getting my parents a new rice cooker. No way will I ever let them touch the infernal appliance again!
Having recovered from the electric shock, I got the rest of the lunch things ready, cleaned the house and washed the driveway with rainwater. Went to the SPCA after lunch to help out with the animal care and kennel work.
Shadow and Mini-Me were in good health and very happy to see me. I assured them that I would be taking them home and let them rest in the big carrier while I went about my duties.
Rose and I bathed and tickwashed the dogs from Kennel E and the maternity kennels. Adoption rates have been stable but surrender rates are still 10 times higher than adoption rates. Many of the new admissions are pregnant or ill, which is frustrating and sad, because they will then have to be needlessly euthanised.
After bathing and medicating the dogs, I helped Rose put the dog-washing gear away and started cleaning the shelter. Reve let the dogs out to play and cleaned the Mummy Kennels while I cleaned the office and front Reception/Admin area. Then I started cleaning the cages behind the office. Reve and I had to confine a female dog, a relatively new admission, as she was in heat, but this did not stop the male dogs from sticking their paws in between the cage bars and howling their messages of undying passion to their lady love.
I made the mistake of opening her cage door just a little so I could clean inside. Before you could say "Safe Sex!" a male poodle-crossbreed made a heroic leap into the cage and began making advances, accompanied by vigorous drooling, at the helpless female. Being the responsible adult here, I had to try to separate the two, of course, and so I stepped in with nothing more than gloved hands to separate the two. He is, after all, a mere poodle-cross.
The pasting I received from the poodle was amazing. I shouldn't have been deceived by the fluffy wing-like ears and the vacuous Hello Kitty face. He had a death grip and it took me a few minutes of swearing and prying before I could free my thumb. It took a while before I managed to get the poodle out of the enclosure, having received no help from the female dog. My thumb was swollen but there were thankfully no puncture wounds, thanks to my rubber gloves.
I resumed soaping, scrubbing and disinfecting the Puppy Areas and the Cattery. While I was in the Cattery, I was approached by a black-and-white tomcat with a bad case of the flu. He came up to me and pleaded with rheumy eyes, expecting me to help reduce his suffering. I picked him up, put him in a cage with food, water and a litter tray that kindhearted Reve had prepared for him after hearing my report, and put up a sign informing the vets that I would like him treated for flu, vaccinated, neutered and released, at my expense. I will pay for his flu treatment next week, and I hope he would be ready for vaccination by then. I can provide home care until the vaccination period is over, and then bring him back for neutering. At the very least, by removing him from the Cattery, I could prevent his flu and eye infection from spreading to the other cats.
I finished cleaning the shelter, put my new kitty (which I have named Tuxedo) in a warm place, cleaned myself up, put Shadow and Mini-Me in the Battletank and drove on home.
Since Shadow and Mini-Me behaved so well in the carrier, I decided that a 10-minute stop at the night market wouldn't hurt. I stopped by for a drink and a corn-on-the-cob before driving the kitties home. Once out of the carrier, the kitties, although neutered, behaved like their usual rambunctious selves. Shadow immediately started scaling the walls and furniture and pouncing on all the other cats' tails.
It has been pretty much an ordinary Arse Luck Sunday. I washed my stinky shelter clothes, changed the bedsheets and the rugs, cleaned the 'Quarters up, uploaded some photos onto Facebook, applied ointment onto my injured hand and wondered if the cats would ever let me have my bed back.
Covert Operations, Over!
Lynette, Kiri and I finally got to meet up on Thursday, weeks after Lynette's return from London. We met up for lunch at her hotel, exchanged gifts and hugs and spent an enjoyable 2 hours catching up on each other's lives.
I had been going back to the parental home after work every day since Sunday to look after Amber and Chocky, so it was Covert Twin's turn to look after the doggies on Thursday and Friday.
On Thursday, I went back to the Bachelor Officers' Quarters and thought I had died and gone to heaven because the fridge produce drawer was full of CANDY! Liquorice allsorts in all colours of the rainbow, dark chocolate pastilles, liquorice-blackcurrant humbugs, red liquorice chews, chocolate-coated liquorice stubs, liquorice ropes, white chocolate bars, slabs of chocolate with alcohol-filled centres! Apparently, Jake's aunt had just returned from another trip to Australia and had got us all loads of candy. I think Jake’s aunt deserves an Auntie of the Year Award for her thoughtfulness and generosity. I am sure the local dentists would agree with my nomination. We spent the rest of the week scarfing candy until our teeth hurt.
Keisha came over for boarding on Friday night, as Hui-Min would be attending her cousin's wedding in Singapore. I love this arrangement because it allows Keisha to socialise with her old friends and because I love having guests, two-legged and four-legged, anyway.
Covert Mum and Covert Dad arrived at KLIA around 0230h on Saturday, and so I went back to the parental home to see them. I helped them with the unpacking, tidying up and laundry, and hand-washed their sweaters for them. I gave Amber a bath and brushed her teeth, but was concerned about Chocky's chesty cough and asked Covert Twin and his girl not to get Chocky's fur wet yet. I called up the vet to fix an appointment, crammed everyone into the Battletank, and off we went to see Dr. Peter. Dr. Peter diagnosed Chocky as having flu and fever, and gave him 2 shots to speed up the healing process. We clung to Chocky like rodeo cowboys to stop him from bucking. To reward him for being such a good boy, Covert Twin got him a huge new bag of Bil-Jac dog food.
After the vet visit, I resumed cleaning the parental home. Cleaned the living and dining rooms, kitchen and my bedroom. Took Amber on a car ride and a walk, took the parents out to dinner and did a load of ironing.
Sunday was Arse Luck Day. I took Amber for a walk in the morning and then proceeded to cook rice and prepare the vegetables for lunch. I suffered a non-fatal electric shock when I was straightening the cable of the rice cooker. I felt a jolt go through my left arm and the force threw me off my feet. My arm hurt as though I had been lifting weights. There was a burning sensation in the tip of my index finger, as though I had burned myself on a hot stove. I’ve had it with that rice cooker! The 20-year-old rice cooker has got to go. I will be getting my parents a new rice cooker. No way will I ever let them touch the infernal appliance again!
Having recovered from the electric shock, I got the rest of the lunch things ready, cleaned the house and washed the driveway with rainwater. Went to the SPCA after lunch to help out with the animal care and kennel work.
Shadow and Mini-Me were in good health and very happy to see me. I assured them that I would be taking them home and let them rest in the big carrier while I went about my duties.
Rose and I bathed and tickwashed the dogs from Kennel E and the maternity kennels. Adoption rates have been stable but surrender rates are still 10 times higher than adoption rates. Many of the new admissions are pregnant or ill, which is frustrating and sad, because they will then have to be needlessly euthanised.
After bathing and medicating the dogs, I helped Rose put the dog-washing gear away and started cleaning the shelter. Reve let the dogs out to play and cleaned the Mummy Kennels while I cleaned the office and front Reception/Admin area. Then I started cleaning the cages behind the office. Reve and I had to confine a female dog, a relatively new admission, as she was in heat, but this did not stop the male dogs from sticking their paws in between the cage bars and howling their messages of undying passion to their lady love.
I made the mistake of opening her cage door just a little so I could clean inside. Before you could say "Safe Sex!" a male poodle-crossbreed made a heroic leap into the cage and began making advances, accompanied by vigorous drooling, at the helpless female. Being the responsible adult here, I had to try to separate the two, of course, and so I stepped in with nothing more than gloved hands to separate the two. He is, after all, a mere poodle-cross.
The pasting I received from the poodle was amazing. I shouldn't have been deceived by the fluffy wing-like ears and the vacuous Hello Kitty face. He had a death grip and it took me a few minutes of swearing and prying before I could free my thumb. It took a while before I managed to get the poodle out of the enclosure, having received no help from the female dog. My thumb was swollen but there were thankfully no puncture wounds, thanks to my rubber gloves.
I resumed soaping, scrubbing and disinfecting the Puppy Areas and the Cattery. While I was in the Cattery, I was approached by a black-and-white tomcat with a bad case of the flu. He came up to me and pleaded with rheumy eyes, expecting me to help reduce his suffering. I picked him up, put him in a cage with food, water and a litter tray that kindhearted Reve had prepared for him after hearing my report, and put up a sign informing the vets that I would like him treated for flu, vaccinated, neutered and released, at my expense. I will pay for his flu treatment next week, and I hope he would be ready for vaccination by then. I can provide home care until the vaccination period is over, and then bring him back for neutering. At the very least, by removing him from the Cattery, I could prevent his flu and eye infection from spreading to the other cats.
I finished cleaning the shelter, put my new kitty (which I have named Tuxedo) in a warm place, cleaned myself up, put Shadow and Mini-Me in the Battletank and drove on home.
Since Shadow and Mini-Me behaved so well in the carrier, I decided that a 10-minute stop at the night market wouldn't hurt. I stopped by for a drink and a corn-on-the-cob before driving the kitties home. Once out of the carrier, the kitties, although neutered, behaved like their usual rambunctious selves. Shadow immediately started scaling the walls and furniture and pouncing on all the other cats' tails.
It has been pretty much an ordinary Arse Luck Sunday. I washed my stinky shelter clothes, changed the bedsheets and the rugs, cleaned the 'Quarters up, uploaded some photos onto Facebook, applied ointment onto my injured hand and wondered if the cats would ever let me have my bed back.
Covert Operations, Over!
Lil & Jack's Green Wedding
Saturday, 11 Oct 2008 - Sunday, 12 Oct 2008: Lil & Jack's Green Wedding
Lil and Jack's Green Wedding
Back Row, standing (L-R): VJ, Hui-Min, Ben, Li-Ann, Angie, Lil, Jack, Me, Oza, Serina, Rhett, Cindy
Front row (L-R): Gary & Gary Jr., Li Li, Walan, Alex Jr. & Alex.
Lillian and Jack had been planning their Green Wedding since July, and a number of us from the MNS Branch Committee had been assisting with various little jobs. I had drafted the content of their mini eco-booklet to be given away as wedding favours, while Pik Wun did the graphic design for it.
After an eternity of planning and organising, the Big Day finally arrived. I met up with Serina in Sg. Buloh at 0800 hours to collect the potted plants from the garden centre. It had rained the night before, and the pots were full of mud. It was quite a messy job loading them into our vehicles.
We couldn't bring the dirty pots into church or give them away as wedding favours the way they are, so Hui-Min, Loretta, Vegan Eugene, Serina and I got to work brushing the soil off the pots and cleaning the pots with a rag by the sink. It was hard work cleaning over a hundred pots and we were still at it when the other guests began arriving at the church.
We finally got all the pots cleaned and arranged beside the pews right before the bride arrived. Then we rushed off to the washrooms to clean ourselves up and change, so we missed watching Lillian come in. There wasn't space to shower in the washrooms, so Hui-Min, Serina and I didn't feel at all comfortable attending the wedding dressed to the nines but sweaty and grimy.
There was a good turnout from the Malaysian Nature Society. It was almost like one of our meetings, with all the committee members present. Gary, Alex and Teck Wyn were there with their families. Rhett wore his kilt and looked great. Li Ann and Ben came in matching outfits. Andy Paul was there chatting up the ladies, as usual. Li Li and Loretta were still manning the guest registration table to make sure the gifts were all accounted for. Each family received a Green Wedding pack comprising a CD of The Story of Stuff, a mini eco-booklet and a CD sleeve explaining the newlyweds' decision to have a Green Wedding.
Serina informed me that if a Muslim were found to be attending a church sermon in our country, the pastor would get arrested. That's news to me, but somehow I wasn't surprised. Anyway, I told her that she's not there for a sermon, and I am sure an exception is made for weddings, because I know a number of Muslim friends who have attended church weddings.
We managed to watch the signing of the marriage register, after which lunch was served in the church garden, so it meant we won't be the only sweaty, scratchy ones. In lieu of a wedding cake, there was a pyramid of cream puffs, which we attacked after the newlyweds did.
I was supposed to be in charge of the 'orphan' potted plants and to deliver the unclaimed plants to the SPCA for sale to raise funds for the animal shelter, but thankfully I didn't have to do it because the plants (birds of paradise, dill and mother-in-law's tongue) were hugely popular and were all adopted by their new caregivers almost immediately. I managed to get a pot of bird-of-paradise for myself.
I know that Lil and Jack put a lot of effort into making their wedding an eco-friendly and socially responsible one and I wish more people would consider the environment the way my friends did when planning their big day. The gang is very happy for Lil and Jack and very proud to be part of the Green Wedding Committee. Congratulations, dear Lil and Jack!
I went back to the parental home in the evening to help Covert Dad and Covert Mum get ready for their trip to visit relations in Macau. Covert Twin and I were to take turns to look after the dogs the following week. I would be caring for them on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while Covert Twin would have to come home to feed them on Thursday and Friday.
Woke up at 0500h on Sunday to see the parents off, and went back to bed for a few more hours. Gave Amber a bath and brushed her teeth at 1000h. Walked both dogs and gave them treats. Tidied the parental home and watered the plants before leaving for the SPCA around 1130h.
Collected Shadow and Mini-Me from the Bachelor Officers' Quarters for their neutering appointment. However, Dr. Pushpa's neutering schedule was really full, and she could not slot them in until Thursday. I didn't want to leave my babies with Mazni because they fell very sick there the last time. Linda, thankfully, offered to board them and look after them for me until Thursday, and would not accept any payment from me for it. For friends like Linda, I am eternally grateful.
There was good news at the shelter. We now have another Animal Inspector, Thean. Adoption rates have been quite encouraging lately, too, at an average of 12 - 15 animals each weekend. Also, the little brown tabby that I rescued and brought in for neutering and release last week has been vaccinated and put up for adoption instead. She looks contented and no longer scrawny, and once the vaccination period is over, Dr. Pushpa will spay her and we will all find her a good home, failing which we could always release her where I found her, but right now we are optimistic that she will be able to find a new home.
Together with Rose, I bathed and tick-washed a number of adult dogs, and Frontlined a few puppies that had just been surrendered. As it was a rather chilly day and the sky was overcast, we stopped washing dogs around 1530h and started cleaning the kennels instead.
I soaped, disinfected, scrubbed and rinsed the Hospital, food preparation area, Maternity Kennel, Cattery, Puppy Area and front Reception/Admin area. Reve and I let a few visitors in after official visiting hours anyway, the result of which 2 more kittens were adopted. We are not usually accommodating with visitors, so it depends on how polite the visitors are, and how considerate they are to the needs of the animals, who need to exercise, eliminate waste and socialise with each other after visiting hours.
I finished cleaning the shelter and showered before leaving for Kiri's house. Kiri had asked me over as she had recently acquired a little pug puppy. I went up to their house and parked behind Kiri's car. I was greeted at the door by Kiri holding a tiny puppy against her shoulder. Muffy was tiny and absolutely beautiful. Kiri, Suba and I had tea while watching over the pup. I explained to them the basics of housebreaking and dog training, and asked them to call me if they have any questions. Muffy is adorable and eager to please, and will bring them much joy.
However, I still feel rather ambivalent about the fact that they purchased Muffy from a pet store, which means that there is a 90% chance of her having been bred by a backyard breeder. In addition, Muffy is way too young to be separated from her mother. By creating demand for younger and younger animals, backyard breeders could enrich themselves through irresponsible pet breeding practices such as breeding the bitches too often, breeding unhealthy animals, and cruelly separating young animals from their mothers before they are physically and psychologically ready for it. The fixation with pedigree domestic pets is unlikely to fade away anytime soon, so we need better laws to regulate the breeding of pets. My stand on this is that we should severely curtail the retail sale of pets. This will eliminate impulse buying and force serious pet buyers to go to licensed breeders. Having potential customers come directly to their breeding kennels will then put pressure on breeders to set higher animal care, health, safety and hygiene standards.
I went back to the parental home around 1930h to feed Amber and Little Big Dog and clean the parental home. It's been a doggone busy weekend, as usual.
Lil and Jack's Green Wedding
Back Row, standing (L-R): VJ, Hui-Min, Ben, Li-Ann, Angie, Lil, Jack, Me, Oza, Serina, Rhett, Cindy
Front row (L-R): Gary & Gary Jr., Li Li, Walan, Alex Jr. & Alex.
Lillian and Jack had been planning their Green Wedding since July, and a number of us from the MNS Branch Committee had been assisting with various little jobs. I had drafted the content of their mini eco-booklet to be given away as wedding favours, while Pik Wun did the graphic design for it.
After an eternity of planning and organising, the Big Day finally arrived. I met up with Serina in Sg. Buloh at 0800 hours to collect the potted plants from the garden centre. It had rained the night before, and the pots were full of mud. It was quite a messy job loading them into our vehicles.
We couldn't bring the dirty pots into church or give them away as wedding favours the way they are, so Hui-Min, Loretta, Vegan Eugene, Serina and I got to work brushing the soil off the pots and cleaning the pots with a rag by the sink. It was hard work cleaning over a hundred pots and we were still at it when the other guests began arriving at the church.
We finally got all the pots cleaned and arranged beside the pews right before the bride arrived. Then we rushed off to the washrooms to clean ourselves up and change, so we missed watching Lillian come in. There wasn't space to shower in the washrooms, so Hui-Min, Serina and I didn't feel at all comfortable attending the wedding dressed to the nines but sweaty and grimy.
There was a good turnout from the Malaysian Nature Society. It was almost like one of our meetings, with all the committee members present. Gary, Alex and Teck Wyn were there with their families. Rhett wore his kilt and looked great. Li Ann and Ben came in matching outfits. Andy Paul was there chatting up the ladies, as usual. Li Li and Loretta were still manning the guest registration table to make sure the gifts were all accounted for. Each family received a Green Wedding pack comprising a CD of The Story of Stuff, a mini eco-booklet and a CD sleeve explaining the newlyweds' decision to have a Green Wedding.
Serina informed me that if a Muslim were found to be attending a church sermon in our country, the pastor would get arrested. That's news to me, but somehow I wasn't surprised. Anyway, I told her that she's not there for a sermon, and I am sure an exception is made for weddings, because I know a number of Muslim friends who have attended church weddings.
We managed to watch the signing of the marriage register, after which lunch was served in the church garden, so it meant we won't be the only sweaty, scratchy ones. In lieu of a wedding cake, there was a pyramid of cream puffs, which we attacked after the newlyweds did.
I was supposed to be in charge of the 'orphan' potted plants and to deliver the unclaimed plants to the SPCA for sale to raise funds for the animal shelter, but thankfully I didn't have to do it because the plants (birds of paradise, dill and mother-in-law's tongue) were hugely popular and were all adopted by their new caregivers almost immediately. I managed to get a pot of bird-of-paradise for myself.
I know that Lil and Jack put a lot of effort into making their wedding an eco-friendly and socially responsible one and I wish more people would consider the environment the way my friends did when planning their big day. The gang is very happy for Lil and Jack and very proud to be part of the Green Wedding Committee. Congratulations, dear Lil and Jack!
I went back to the parental home in the evening to help Covert Dad and Covert Mum get ready for their trip to visit relations in Macau. Covert Twin and I were to take turns to look after the dogs the following week. I would be caring for them on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while Covert Twin would have to come home to feed them on Thursday and Friday.
Woke up at 0500h on Sunday to see the parents off, and went back to bed for a few more hours. Gave Amber a bath and brushed her teeth at 1000h. Walked both dogs and gave them treats. Tidied the parental home and watered the plants before leaving for the SPCA around 1130h.
Collected Shadow and Mini-Me from the Bachelor Officers' Quarters for their neutering appointment. However, Dr. Pushpa's neutering schedule was really full, and she could not slot them in until Thursday. I didn't want to leave my babies with Mazni because they fell very sick there the last time. Linda, thankfully, offered to board them and look after them for me until Thursday, and would not accept any payment from me for it. For friends like Linda, I am eternally grateful.
There was good news at the shelter. We now have another Animal Inspector, Thean. Adoption rates have been quite encouraging lately, too, at an average of 12 - 15 animals each weekend. Also, the little brown tabby that I rescued and brought in for neutering and release last week has been vaccinated and put up for adoption instead. She looks contented and no longer scrawny, and once the vaccination period is over, Dr. Pushpa will spay her and we will all find her a good home, failing which we could always release her where I found her, but right now we are optimistic that she will be able to find a new home.
Together with Rose, I bathed and tick-washed a number of adult dogs, and Frontlined a few puppies that had just been surrendered. As it was a rather chilly day and the sky was overcast, we stopped washing dogs around 1530h and started cleaning the kennels instead.
I soaped, disinfected, scrubbed and rinsed the Hospital, food preparation area, Maternity Kennel, Cattery, Puppy Area and front Reception/Admin area. Reve and I let a few visitors in after official visiting hours anyway, the result of which 2 more kittens were adopted. We are not usually accommodating with visitors, so it depends on how polite the visitors are, and how considerate they are to the needs of the animals, who need to exercise, eliminate waste and socialise with each other after visiting hours.
I finished cleaning the shelter and showered before leaving for Kiri's house. Kiri had asked me over as she had recently acquired a little pug puppy. I went up to their house and parked behind Kiri's car. I was greeted at the door by Kiri holding a tiny puppy against her shoulder. Muffy was tiny and absolutely beautiful. Kiri, Suba and I had tea while watching over the pup. I explained to them the basics of housebreaking and dog training, and asked them to call me if they have any questions. Muffy is adorable and eager to please, and will bring them much joy.
However, I still feel rather ambivalent about the fact that they purchased Muffy from a pet store, which means that there is a 90% chance of her having been bred by a backyard breeder. In addition, Muffy is way too young to be separated from her mother. By creating demand for younger and younger animals, backyard breeders could enrich themselves through irresponsible pet breeding practices such as breeding the bitches too often, breeding unhealthy animals, and cruelly separating young animals from their mothers before they are physically and psychologically ready for it. The fixation with pedigree domestic pets is unlikely to fade away anytime soon, so we need better laws to regulate the breeding of pets. My stand on this is that we should severely curtail the retail sale of pets. This will eliminate impulse buying and force serious pet buyers to go to licensed breeders. Having potential customers come directly to their breeding kennels will then put pressure on breeders to set higher animal care, health, safety and hygiene standards.
I went back to the parental home around 1930h to feed Amber and Little Big Dog and clean the parental home. It's been a doggone busy weekend, as usual.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Life on Civvy Street
20th September 2008: SPCA Campaign Meeting, Shelter News and Hui-Min’s BBQ.
My cousin, Boy Scout, had come to stay with me at the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters for a week, as he had to sit for his exams in the city. I was glad to have him around, as I wanted the cats, especially the younger ones, to get used to having company around. I managed to successfully litter train Mini-Me and Shadow, which impressed Boy Scout no end. Keisha, on the other hand, would be going to a good friend of mine, Hui-Min.
I left for the SPCA early on Saturday morning after having fed and cleaned up after the cats. I was to attend a Campaign and PR team meeting at the shelter office first before doing my usual kennel work. It was a fruitful meeting on several campaigns that would last all of 2009. I put forward my proposals for the rebranding of adopters as ‘animal heroes’, and of shelter animals as ‘rescued animals’, and the strategies in promoting responsible pet ownership, encouraging voluntarism and the adoption of animals in need. My ideas were well received, and I could tell the team was pleased to have me on board. I have also assumed the responsibility of planning the SPCA Christmas Party to reach out to young people and young families, instead of merely our usual corporate sponsors.
The meeting over, I commenced animal care work with Rose and a gem of a new volunteer, Fiona. We bathed and tickwashed all the dogs in Mummy Dogs 1 and Mummy Dogs 2. Then I scrubbed and washed the kennels and cleaned the food and water bowls. Fiona assisted me in soaping and cleaning the Maternity Kennels while I did the Puppy Area, and later, she cleaned the front Reception/Admin office area while I cleaned the Cattery. I cleaned out all the cat baskets and litter trays as well, unclogged the gutters, and scrubbed and disinfected the whole place.
Cleaned myself up and left the shelter by 1715 hrs, as I was supposed to be at Hui-Min’s place by 1800 and I was nowhere near ready. Drove like a rally driver back home, cleaned up, put my contributions for the BBQ in my cooler box, lured Keisha into a carrier, loaded Keisha’s things into the Battletank and off I went to find my way to Hui-Min’s apartment.
Keisha had a little accident in the carrier due to stress, and I had to clean her up as soon as we got to Hui-Min’s place. Cleaned up the carrier and Hui-Min’s bathroom as well, dried Keisha off with a towel and set up her litter tray and scratching post for her in what was to be her new room. She was timid at first, but soon warmed up to Hui-Min and took to purring whenever Hui-Min sat near her or talked to her. I will miss Keisha, although I am happy that she found herself a wonderful loving home. Still, I will be seeing Keisha quite often, as Hui-Min will be sending Keisha over to my place for boarding whenever she needs to be out of town. So Keisha, essentially, has two homes now.
Once Keisha has settled down, we adjourned to the Clubhouse where the party was to be held. The party was in full swing sans the birthday girl because Li-Ann and Ben managed to get the grill going really well. There was enough food to feed hundreds. The company was great, the view fantastic and the food scrumptious. We really couldn’t ask for anything more, except perhaps more guests to help finish the food.
Left the party around 2330 hrs as I was tired after a full day’s work at the SPCA shelter, and was much heartened and relieved when Hui-Min sent me a message after the party to inform me that Keisha is adjusting well to her new environment and very affectionate.
Covert Operations, Over.
Monday, 22nd September 2008: New Job, New Beginnings
I attended a job interview on Monday with an intergovernmental organisation. As I have mentioned before, I want to do well at my current firm, but my progress here has just been stymied by too many factors. I finally decided that it was in my best interests to seek employment elsewhere. I aced the interview at the organisation and was offered the position of a junior legal counsel, which I accepted. I will be starting my new job in November. I believe that I will be able to capitalise on my strengths and produce the results I will be happy with at my new job.
I tendered my letter of resignation to the Managing Partner (Covert Boss) the day after. As I was faced with stony silence on the day he read my letter, I braced myself for an earful for when he was ready to address the issue.
Covert Boss called me into his office the day after. I had expected him to be bitter and accusing, but he was surprisingly gentle and kind. We talked about work, and he offered to train me to take up more responsibilities if I were to change my mind and continue with his firm. I declined politely, saying that I have already accepted another job. We talked about what my new job would entail, and he agreed that it would suit me better. He said he was sorry to see such talent leave, and that he hoped we would remain friends and that I would drop by the firm and visit them sometimes. While I do not regret my decision to leave, I have to admit that I felt apologetic about having to leave. I have said many times that Covert Boss is a good man. The problem lay more with my direct supervisor, the clients and work that was assigned to me. I had wanted to succeed in this firm but I guess things don’t always work out the way we want them to.
I was, however, very glad that the meeting was an amicable one. I did offer to help Covert Boss out with the firm’s corporate profile, as a final propitiatory contribution, and the Human Resource team was right glad about it. In the meantime, I intend to complete my final month with the firm with utmost commitment and diligence.
Covert Operations ~ We’ll do our best!
Saturday, 27th September 2008 – Sunday, 28th September 2008: My Wonderful Semai Children
Washing the bottles in the river so we could either reuse them for Arts & Crafts or sell them off for recycling. I showed the children what a great cleaning agent river sand is. We scrubbed the bottles clean and removed the labels by rubbing them with wet river sand.
An aerial view of the washed bottles being put out to dry in the sun. The Red team won with a total bottle count of 137. The Blue team was a close second with 136.
For photos of the village and the children, please go HERE
It was during the Bushcraft Knife and Parang Safety Course that Vegan Eugene asked me if I would be able to assist him with an environmental education camp for the Semai children of the indigenous community of Ulu Geroh, Perak. I was happy to accept his invitation and asked him to come over to the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters to borrow my 3R Game board and pieces.
We spent the next two weeks preparing environmental games, arts and crafts supplies and equipment and slides for the camp. I tried mooching old premiums (crayons, school supplies and toys) that no longer have market or resale value off food manufacturers, as the children we will be working with (age 4-15) lack many things and would be very happy with a few simple gifts.
We were finally ready to roll on the morning of 27th September. After a tiring 6-hour drive, the final hour of which was almost entirely offroad, we arrived at the village community hall and were greeted by the village elders. The children started arriving on bicycles and on foot, all grins and giggles. The volunteers and I got our things organised and got the kitchen ladies to bring in the food. Then we served the food on plates to the children, as many were very young.
After lunch, we divided the children into their colour-coded teams and tied coloured ribbons around their wrists. We briefed them on the importance of recycling and not littering and sent them off in teams to collect recyclables from around the village. Littering is rife among indigenous and coastal folk, because ours is the first generation to use non-biodegradable goods extensively. In the past, the villagers could pile their waste up in a faraway corner and it would turn into rich compost within weeks. Now we have rubbish that wouldn't just disintegrate, and villagers who haven't learned that such rubbish is harmful for the Planet, and we need new ways of teaching them how to deal with disposables.
There were hundreds of bottles left lying around, the reason being that many of the logging and plantation companies employ indigenous men, because indigenous men are known to have immense strength and stamina. They are then paid in cash and kind -- mostly things like rice, tobacco and alcohol (toddy, beer and Guinness Stout) -- to keep them dependent and subservient. The bottles we found are mostly alcohol bottles left lying around after payday. We still have to find a way to keep the community self-sufficient, resilient and proud enough not to depend on the logging and plantation companies for their livelihood.
In the course of the village cleanup, my love for these beautiful, highly-evolved, nature-aware, sure-footed, sharp-eyed, soft-spoken, big-hearted Semai children grew. We put the washed bottles out to dry in the sun after counting them, and then we returned to the community hall for other activities. We played the 3R Game with the children. They had a good grasp of what items should be reduced, reused or recycled, and we hoped that they would bring this knowledge home to the adults in their families.
Next, we played the Bamboo Towers Game, and prizes were given out for the tallest bamboo towers constructed. In the late afternoon, we taught them how to make the first of the 3R crafts, and together we made thousands of paper beads using junk mail and paste. Then it was time for tea, and we doled out noodles, chips, fruit and tea to the children.
After tea, we had the nature guide take us all to the sustainable village farm where the villagers grew rice and other food crops on a rotation basis, thus eliminating the need for the traditional slash-and-burn method. We talked to the children about the importance of keeping primary forests intact, and discussed what they could do when they inherit the community farm one day.
We let the children go home after that and they ran off gleefully to play in the river. The volunteers and I tidied up the things before going to the river to bathe. Later after dinner, we cleaned and dried the bottles that weren’t quite clean enough, tidied up the supplies and games equipment, and sat in a circle to make more paper beads because the children didn’t make enough. I retired by midnight, almost blind from making beads in the dim light.
We put our camp beds and sleeping bags away on Sunday morning, washed ourselves and helped the kitchen ladies bring in the breakfast for the children. We sorted the children into their teams again and gave them breakfast. Excitement came in the form of a van carrying the teachers and lecturers from the Institute for Early Childhood Education, who could not come on Saturday due to lectures. The children are fond of the teachers and helped them carry the boxes in. The teachers then took over to conduct the 3R crafts sessions. We assisted the children in making bead necklaces and leaf bookmarks and in decorating bottles with punched-out craft shapes. These gifts will be given away to the (gormless, corrupt and ignorant) government officials who will be visiting the village on Oct 12.
I have been conducting children's nature/environment camps since 2005 and have yet to be as moved by my wards as I have during my weekend in Ulu Geroh. I learned so much from my beautiful Semai children in those 2 days. While the other teachers were teaching the children a song about river pollution, 2 of the teachers, Heng Lan and Kim, and I made 6 pretty necklaces to give away to the kitchen ladies, to teach the children about appreciating people who help us. We assembled the children and I suggested getting 6 of the smallest children to present the necklaces to the kitchen ladies. There was much cheering and clapping as the little ones put necklaces around the necks of the kitchen ladies, who looked visibly moved.
We had taken hundreds of photos over the weekend and compiled them into a slideshow, which we screened at the closing ceremony, to the music of "We're All In This Together," from High School Musical 1. Being the big softie that I am, I got all emotional during the slideshow and had to leave the community hall for a little while, so that my beautiful children could not see how much I would miss them. We got the children to help us tidy and pack up in the evening and waved them goodbye all the way down the village road, knowing in our hearts that they have done us as much good as we have brought them knowledge and cheer.
My wish for my country is to see inclusiveness being made a critical developmental goal. I want to see that the indigenous peoples, with all their skills, wisdom, knowledge and traditions would be appreciated and respected as original settlers, and not marginalised and treated as second class citizens as they are today.
Covert Operations, Over!
Wednesday, 1st October 2008 – Sunday, 5th October 2008: Fasting, Feasting
Our firm had 5 days off work (2 days being public holidays) on the occasion of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. We have all been looking forward to the long festive break.
I spent Wednesday, the first day of Hari Raya, at the SPCA. I had just learned from the shelter staff that the Admin Assistant had resigned after she was discovered to have tampered with the accounts. I believe in the innate goodness of people and find it hard to believe that such an affable young lady could be capable of pilfering. I think it could have just been carelessness and neglect of her work on her part.
There were no other volunteers around, so I assisted the vets with some official correspondence and got to work bathing and tickwashing the dogs in the Central Area. I had fortunately finished washing 12 dogs when it began to drizzle in the evening. I then proceeded to spring-clean the Cattery and scrubbed all the sleeping baskets and litter trays clean. After washing and disinfecting the Cattery, I cleaned the Maternity Kennels, Puppy Kennels and front area. I cleaned myself up and left the shelter with a pot of wheatgrass which Jacinta gave me as a gift.
Went back to the Bachelor Officers Quarters, gave the cats their wheatgrass pot, fed and cleaned up after the cats, tidied the place up and rolled on over to the parental home at night. Had dinner, did the washing up, cleaned the kitchen and played with Amber and Little Big Dog.
Spent Thursday (2nd October 2008) spring cleaning the parental home. Cleaned the kitchen cabinets and fridge, polished the furniture, cleaned the living and dining rooms and took the dogs for walks.
I had promised Covert Mum and Covert Dad that I would take them out on Friday, and so we went to Berjaya Times Square on Friday for a spot of window-shopping and grub. I treated them to lunch at Dome and we had gourmet pies and coffee, which the parents enjoyed tremendously.
Dome Gourmet Chicken & Mushroom Pie
We adjourned to the cinema after lunch, as I have got all of us tickets to watch “Mamma Mia!” It was a light-hearted movie that didn’t require any cerebral effort on our part but was positively delightful to sing along to.
Mamma Mia: The Movie!
We had tea after the movie and went home on the train after that, arriving home in time to take the doggies out for walks.
Saturday, 4th October, was another industrious day at the parental home. I swept the garden and compound and composted the sweepings, bathed the dogs, did the laundry and ironing and spring-cleaned my bedroom, the spare room and the study. Then I sorted out the things for recycling or to be donated to charity. In the evening, I did the washing up and cleaned the kitchen and disinfected the garbage cans.
I left the parental home for the SPCA animal shelter on Sunday. I learned from Dr. Pushpa that the 8 stray puppies brought in by my good friend Hurnain have all been adopted, and I wasted no time informing Hurnain of the happy news.
Rose, Reve and the other volunteers and weekend staff were all at the shelter as well, and so Rose and I spent a productive afternoon bathing and tick-washing dogs. It began raining heavily in the evening, so I turned my attention to cleaning the shelter instead. I cleaned out, scrubbed and disinfected the Hospital, Puppy Kennels, cages, pound, cooking area, Cattery and front Reception/Admin area.
I took a short break to go to the convenience store for a soda after cleaning, and spotted a few tame stray cats in the area. I returned with some kibbles and fed them. I picked one up for neutering and returned to the shelter with the trusting cat. I put her in a cage with food, water and a litter tray and requested that she be spayed the following day. I will come to settle the bill next Sunday, and bring Shadow and Mini-Me in for neutering as well. Project Second Chance has been sailing smoothly for the past month and I hope to achieve more success with my neuter-and-release project.
Went back to the Bachelor Officers Quarters at night, stopped by the night market for junk food, cleaned the ‘Quarters, cleaned up after the cats, got ready for work the following day, waited for Hui-Min to come pick Keisha up (who came over to the Bachelor Officers Quarters for boarding during the festive break), puked my guts out, took 2 activated carbon pills and a paracetamol and slept my sickness off.
Gung-Ho, Gung-Ho! Good work, Commando!
MY REPORT ON THE ASIA FOR ANIMALS CONFERENCE 2008, TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE NEW STRAITS TIMES
~ Animal Welfare Symposium in the Isle of Gods ~
By Wong Ee Lynn
A gamelan music troupe welcomed the SPCA Selangor delegation to the Sanur Beach Hotel on 26th August 2008, the evening before Day 1 of the Asia For Animals Conference 2008
(“AfA”). SPCA Selangor was represented by a contingent of 6 officers and senior volunteers who were selected based on their ongoing contributions to the organisation and their role in specific animal welfare campaigns in Malaysia. We were pleased to meet fellow Malaysians Dr. Ismail from the Department of Veterinary Services and two representatives from Ipoh Street Cats and Dogs at the Conference.
The biennial AfA Conference is by no means a pleasure junket for animal-lovers. It is, rather, a forum to bring together veterinarians, animal welfare/rescue professionals, government agencies and animal welfare organisations in Asia to develop winning animal welfare strategies. Many animal-related issues are unique to Asia, for instance, dog meat consumption, for which the developed world has not been able to offer a solution. Also, in the case of impoverished communities such as the Qalandars in India that have for generations trained performing bears, enforcing harsher penalties would be cruel if an alternative livelihood were not offered to the offenders. A forum such as AfA is therefore critical to the process of assessing and formulating animal protection policies that are socially acceptable and that take into account human needs.
The 2008 AfA Conference was scheduled right in between two Balinese festivals, Galungan and Kuningan, and the Conference participants were delighted to encounter decorated shrines and ‘canang’ (offerings of flowers, fruit and incense) at every turn. The election of Bali as the Conference venue was appropriate, as Bali is rich in contradictions. Bakso carts share the sidewalks with ‘penjor’ (decorated bamboo poles bearing offerings), and the gentle Balinese people, who make time for daily worship, also touched us with their love of nature and animals. Yet for every well-fed street dog we saw, there were always others suffering from disease and malnutrition. And while we loved the island for having reclaimed the tale of Yudisthira, the noble king who chose to renounce Heaven unless a loyal stray mongrel was also allowed entry, we were also aware of the island’s animistic tradition of animal sacrifice, including the ritual slaughter of dogs in the rural areas. Bali therefore was a good metaphor for the complexity of the challenges we face as animal care providers in the developing world.
Day 1 of the Conference was kicked off with the reading of the 2007 Conference resolutions, followed by ice-breaking activities coordinated by Profauna Indonesia. After 4 team-building challenges which involved much spilling of water and messing up of clothes and hair, we returned to the Conference hall bedraggled and grimy to debate topics such as sustainable animal advocacy and activism, animal welfare journalism, the consumption of dog meat in China and Korea and the need for Asian solidarity in speaking up against the practice.
In the evening, we were honoured with the presence of Shaun Monson, award-winning director of the 2005 animal rights documentary, ‘Earthlings’. The screening of ‘Earthlings’ left most of the delegates in tears, but Monson received a standing ovation nevertheless after the closing credits. After a final Q&A session, the Conference participants adjourned to the beach for a candle-lighting and blessing ceremony for departed animals, followed by a vegetarian dinner.
Day 2 of the Conference saw the SPCA Selangor delegation split into 2 working groups: Companion Animal Track and Wildlife Track. The Companion Animal Track workshop participants departed on the bus in the morning to visit the Yudisthira Field Clinic, and returned to the Conference venue after lunch to observe the live keyhole spay demonstration. Dr. Natasha Lee, formerly of SPCA Selangor, delivered a presentation on the SPCA-DBKL Klinik Kembiri Low Cost Neuter Clinic, while SPCA Selangor’s officer Jacinta Johnson shared the lessons learned at the South Pacific Humane Education Conference and related how the information was used to improve animal welfare education programmes in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the Wildlife Track workshop participants laboured over topics such as assessing wildlife in captivity, establishing a wildlife rescue centre, establishing an Asian Sanctuary Alliance and wildlife rehabilitation. The Wildlife Track participants went on a field trip to the Bali Zoo in Singapadu in the evening to conduct a Zoo Check exercise to evaluate the well-being of the wildlife in captivity.
On the final day of the Conference, we worked on the more results-orientated issues such as law enforcement, working with the government, enlisting volunteers, disaster relief and response and campaign planning and preparation. The final programme for the Conference was the drafting of the 2008 Resolutions. Contributions from SPCA Selangor included implementing and enforcing better laws on, and restrictions against, the retail sale of pets.
The Asia for Animals Conference 2008 was officially closed at 6 p.m. on 29th August, and the SPCA Selangor team returned to Malaysia with the intellectual resources necessary to promote responsible pet ownership, animal welfare, disease prevention and effective wildlife management in Malaysia. Without the AfA conference, much time and resources would have been squandered on conducting campaigns and projects on a trial-and-error basis. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our sponsors and supporters for their assistance and encouragement, and to the Conference speakers and workshop facilitators for the knowledge they shared and disseminated so generously.
My cousin, Boy Scout, had come to stay with me at the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters for a week, as he had to sit for his exams in the city. I was glad to have him around, as I wanted the cats, especially the younger ones, to get used to having company around. I managed to successfully litter train Mini-Me and Shadow, which impressed Boy Scout no end. Keisha, on the other hand, would be going to a good friend of mine, Hui-Min.
I left for the SPCA early on Saturday morning after having fed and cleaned up after the cats. I was to attend a Campaign and PR team meeting at the shelter office first before doing my usual kennel work. It was a fruitful meeting on several campaigns that would last all of 2009. I put forward my proposals for the rebranding of adopters as ‘animal heroes’, and of shelter animals as ‘rescued animals’, and the strategies in promoting responsible pet ownership, encouraging voluntarism and the adoption of animals in need. My ideas were well received, and I could tell the team was pleased to have me on board. I have also assumed the responsibility of planning the SPCA Christmas Party to reach out to young people and young families, instead of merely our usual corporate sponsors.
The meeting over, I commenced animal care work with Rose and a gem of a new volunteer, Fiona. We bathed and tickwashed all the dogs in Mummy Dogs 1 and Mummy Dogs 2. Then I scrubbed and washed the kennels and cleaned the food and water bowls. Fiona assisted me in soaping and cleaning the Maternity Kennels while I did the Puppy Area, and later, she cleaned the front Reception/Admin office area while I cleaned the Cattery. I cleaned out all the cat baskets and litter trays as well, unclogged the gutters, and scrubbed and disinfected the whole place.
Cleaned myself up and left the shelter by 1715 hrs, as I was supposed to be at Hui-Min’s place by 1800 and I was nowhere near ready. Drove like a rally driver back home, cleaned up, put my contributions for the BBQ in my cooler box, lured Keisha into a carrier, loaded Keisha’s things into the Battletank and off I went to find my way to Hui-Min’s apartment.
Keisha had a little accident in the carrier due to stress, and I had to clean her up as soon as we got to Hui-Min’s place. Cleaned up the carrier and Hui-Min’s bathroom as well, dried Keisha off with a towel and set up her litter tray and scratching post for her in what was to be her new room. She was timid at first, but soon warmed up to Hui-Min and took to purring whenever Hui-Min sat near her or talked to her. I will miss Keisha, although I am happy that she found herself a wonderful loving home. Still, I will be seeing Keisha quite often, as Hui-Min will be sending Keisha over to my place for boarding whenever she needs to be out of town. So Keisha, essentially, has two homes now.
Once Keisha has settled down, we adjourned to the Clubhouse where the party was to be held. The party was in full swing sans the birthday girl because Li-Ann and Ben managed to get the grill going really well. There was enough food to feed hundreds. The company was great, the view fantastic and the food scrumptious. We really couldn’t ask for anything more, except perhaps more guests to help finish the food.
Left the party around 2330 hrs as I was tired after a full day’s work at the SPCA shelter, and was much heartened and relieved when Hui-Min sent me a message after the party to inform me that Keisha is adjusting well to her new environment and very affectionate.
Covert Operations, Over.
Monday, 22nd September 2008: New Job, New Beginnings
I attended a job interview on Monday with an intergovernmental organisation. As I have mentioned before, I want to do well at my current firm, but my progress here has just been stymied by too many factors. I finally decided that it was in my best interests to seek employment elsewhere. I aced the interview at the organisation and was offered the position of a junior legal counsel, which I accepted. I will be starting my new job in November. I believe that I will be able to capitalise on my strengths and produce the results I will be happy with at my new job.
I tendered my letter of resignation to the Managing Partner (Covert Boss) the day after. As I was faced with stony silence on the day he read my letter, I braced myself for an earful for when he was ready to address the issue.
Covert Boss called me into his office the day after. I had expected him to be bitter and accusing, but he was surprisingly gentle and kind. We talked about work, and he offered to train me to take up more responsibilities if I were to change my mind and continue with his firm. I declined politely, saying that I have already accepted another job. We talked about what my new job would entail, and he agreed that it would suit me better. He said he was sorry to see such talent leave, and that he hoped we would remain friends and that I would drop by the firm and visit them sometimes. While I do not regret my decision to leave, I have to admit that I felt apologetic about having to leave. I have said many times that Covert Boss is a good man. The problem lay more with my direct supervisor, the clients and work that was assigned to me. I had wanted to succeed in this firm but I guess things don’t always work out the way we want them to.
I was, however, very glad that the meeting was an amicable one. I did offer to help Covert Boss out with the firm’s corporate profile, as a final propitiatory contribution, and the Human Resource team was right glad about it. In the meantime, I intend to complete my final month with the firm with utmost commitment and diligence.
Covert Operations ~ We’ll do our best!
Saturday, 27th September 2008 – Sunday, 28th September 2008: My Wonderful Semai Children
Washing the bottles in the river so we could either reuse them for Arts & Crafts or sell them off for recycling. I showed the children what a great cleaning agent river sand is. We scrubbed the bottles clean and removed the labels by rubbing them with wet river sand.
An aerial view of the washed bottles being put out to dry in the sun. The Red team won with a total bottle count of 137. The Blue team was a close second with 136.
For photos of the village and the children, please go HERE
It was during the Bushcraft Knife and Parang Safety Course that Vegan Eugene asked me if I would be able to assist him with an environmental education camp for the Semai children of the indigenous community of Ulu Geroh, Perak. I was happy to accept his invitation and asked him to come over to the Bachelor Officers’ Quarters to borrow my 3R Game board and pieces.
We spent the next two weeks preparing environmental games, arts and crafts supplies and equipment and slides for the camp. I tried mooching old premiums (crayons, school supplies and toys) that no longer have market or resale value off food manufacturers, as the children we will be working with (age 4-15) lack many things and would be very happy with a few simple gifts.
We were finally ready to roll on the morning of 27th September. After a tiring 6-hour drive, the final hour of which was almost entirely offroad, we arrived at the village community hall and were greeted by the village elders. The children started arriving on bicycles and on foot, all grins and giggles. The volunteers and I got our things organised and got the kitchen ladies to bring in the food. Then we served the food on plates to the children, as many were very young.
After lunch, we divided the children into their colour-coded teams and tied coloured ribbons around their wrists. We briefed them on the importance of recycling and not littering and sent them off in teams to collect recyclables from around the village. Littering is rife among indigenous and coastal folk, because ours is the first generation to use non-biodegradable goods extensively. In the past, the villagers could pile their waste up in a faraway corner and it would turn into rich compost within weeks. Now we have rubbish that wouldn't just disintegrate, and villagers who haven't learned that such rubbish is harmful for the Planet, and we need new ways of teaching them how to deal with disposables.
There were hundreds of bottles left lying around, the reason being that many of the logging and plantation companies employ indigenous men, because indigenous men are known to have immense strength and stamina. They are then paid in cash and kind -- mostly things like rice, tobacco and alcohol (toddy, beer and Guinness Stout) -- to keep them dependent and subservient. The bottles we found are mostly alcohol bottles left lying around after payday. We still have to find a way to keep the community self-sufficient, resilient and proud enough not to depend on the logging and plantation companies for their livelihood.
In the course of the village cleanup, my love for these beautiful, highly-evolved, nature-aware, sure-footed, sharp-eyed, soft-spoken, big-hearted Semai children grew. We put the washed bottles out to dry in the sun after counting them, and then we returned to the community hall for other activities. We played the 3R Game with the children. They had a good grasp of what items should be reduced, reused or recycled, and we hoped that they would bring this knowledge home to the adults in their families.
Next, we played the Bamboo Towers Game, and prizes were given out for the tallest bamboo towers constructed. In the late afternoon, we taught them how to make the first of the 3R crafts, and together we made thousands of paper beads using junk mail and paste. Then it was time for tea, and we doled out noodles, chips, fruit and tea to the children.
After tea, we had the nature guide take us all to the sustainable village farm where the villagers grew rice and other food crops on a rotation basis, thus eliminating the need for the traditional slash-and-burn method. We talked to the children about the importance of keeping primary forests intact, and discussed what they could do when they inherit the community farm one day.
We let the children go home after that and they ran off gleefully to play in the river. The volunteers and I tidied up the things before going to the river to bathe. Later after dinner, we cleaned and dried the bottles that weren’t quite clean enough, tidied up the supplies and games equipment, and sat in a circle to make more paper beads because the children didn’t make enough. I retired by midnight, almost blind from making beads in the dim light.
We put our camp beds and sleeping bags away on Sunday morning, washed ourselves and helped the kitchen ladies bring in the breakfast for the children. We sorted the children into their teams again and gave them breakfast. Excitement came in the form of a van carrying the teachers and lecturers from the Institute for Early Childhood Education, who could not come on Saturday due to lectures. The children are fond of the teachers and helped them carry the boxes in. The teachers then took over to conduct the 3R crafts sessions. We assisted the children in making bead necklaces and leaf bookmarks and in decorating bottles with punched-out craft shapes. These gifts will be given away to the (gormless, corrupt and ignorant) government officials who will be visiting the village on Oct 12.
I have been conducting children's nature/environment camps since 2005 and have yet to be as moved by my wards as I have during my weekend in Ulu Geroh. I learned so much from my beautiful Semai children in those 2 days. While the other teachers were teaching the children a song about river pollution, 2 of the teachers, Heng Lan and Kim, and I made 6 pretty necklaces to give away to the kitchen ladies, to teach the children about appreciating people who help us. We assembled the children and I suggested getting 6 of the smallest children to present the necklaces to the kitchen ladies. There was much cheering and clapping as the little ones put necklaces around the necks of the kitchen ladies, who looked visibly moved.
We had taken hundreds of photos over the weekend and compiled them into a slideshow, which we screened at the closing ceremony, to the music of "We're All In This Together," from High School Musical 1. Being the big softie that I am, I got all emotional during the slideshow and had to leave the community hall for a little while, so that my beautiful children could not see how much I would miss them. We got the children to help us tidy and pack up in the evening and waved them goodbye all the way down the village road, knowing in our hearts that they have done us as much good as we have brought them knowledge and cheer.
My wish for my country is to see inclusiveness being made a critical developmental goal. I want to see that the indigenous peoples, with all their skills, wisdom, knowledge and traditions would be appreciated and respected as original settlers, and not marginalised and treated as second class citizens as they are today.
Covert Operations, Over!
Wednesday, 1st October 2008 – Sunday, 5th October 2008: Fasting, Feasting
Our firm had 5 days off work (2 days being public holidays) on the occasion of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. We have all been looking forward to the long festive break.
I spent Wednesday, the first day of Hari Raya, at the SPCA. I had just learned from the shelter staff that the Admin Assistant had resigned after she was discovered to have tampered with the accounts. I believe in the innate goodness of people and find it hard to believe that such an affable young lady could be capable of pilfering. I think it could have just been carelessness and neglect of her work on her part.
There were no other volunteers around, so I assisted the vets with some official correspondence and got to work bathing and tickwashing the dogs in the Central Area. I had fortunately finished washing 12 dogs when it began to drizzle in the evening. I then proceeded to spring-clean the Cattery and scrubbed all the sleeping baskets and litter trays clean. After washing and disinfecting the Cattery, I cleaned the Maternity Kennels, Puppy Kennels and front area. I cleaned myself up and left the shelter with a pot of wheatgrass which Jacinta gave me as a gift.
Went back to the Bachelor Officers Quarters, gave the cats their wheatgrass pot, fed and cleaned up after the cats, tidied the place up and rolled on over to the parental home at night. Had dinner, did the washing up, cleaned the kitchen and played with Amber and Little Big Dog.
Spent Thursday (2nd October 2008) spring cleaning the parental home. Cleaned the kitchen cabinets and fridge, polished the furniture, cleaned the living and dining rooms and took the dogs for walks.
I had promised Covert Mum and Covert Dad that I would take them out on Friday, and so we went to Berjaya Times Square on Friday for a spot of window-shopping and grub. I treated them to lunch at Dome and we had gourmet pies and coffee, which the parents enjoyed tremendously.
Dome Gourmet Chicken & Mushroom Pie
We adjourned to the cinema after lunch, as I have got all of us tickets to watch “Mamma Mia!” It was a light-hearted movie that didn’t require any cerebral effort on our part but was positively delightful to sing along to.
Mamma Mia: The Movie!
We had tea after the movie and went home on the train after that, arriving home in time to take the doggies out for walks.
Saturday, 4th October, was another industrious day at the parental home. I swept the garden and compound and composted the sweepings, bathed the dogs, did the laundry and ironing and spring-cleaned my bedroom, the spare room and the study. Then I sorted out the things for recycling or to be donated to charity. In the evening, I did the washing up and cleaned the kitchen and disinfected the garbage cans.
I left the parental home for the SPCA animal shelter on Sunday. I learned from Dr. Pushpa that the 8 stray puppies brought in by my good friend Hurnain have all been adopted, and I wasted no time informing Hurnain of the happy news.
Rose, Reve and the other volunteers and weekend staff were all at the shelter as well, and so Rose and I spent a productive afternoon bathing and tick-washing dogs. It began raining heavily in the evening, so I turned my attention to cleaning the shelter instead. I cleaned out, scrubbed and disinfected the Hospital, Puppy Kennels, cages, pound, cooking area, Cattery and front Reception/Admin area.
I took a short break to go to the convenience store for a soda after cleaning, and spotted a few tame stray cats in the area. I returned with some kibbles and fed them. I picked one up for neutering and returned to the shelter with the trusting cat. I put her in a cage with food, water and a litter tray and requested that she be spayed the following day. I will come to settle the bill next Sunday, and bring Shadow and Mini-Me in for neutering as well. Project Second Chance has been sailing smoothly for the past month and I hope to achieve more success with my neuter-and-release project.
Went back to the Bachelor Officers Quarters at night, stopped by the night market for junk food, cleaned the ‘Quarters, cleaned up after the cats, got ready for work the following day, waited for Hui-Min to come pick Keisha up (who came over to the Bachelor Officers Quarters for boarding during the festive break), puked my guts out, took 2 activated carbon pills and a paracetamol and slept my sickness off.
Gung-Ho, Gung-Ho! Good work, Commando!
MY REPORT ON THE ASIA FOR ANIMALS CONFERENCE 2008, TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE NEW STRAITS TIMES
~ Animal Welfare Symposium in the Isle of Gods ~
By Wong Ee Lynn
A gamelan music troupe welcomed the SPCA Selangor delegation to the Sanur Beach Hotel on 26th August 2008, the evening before Day 1 of the Asia For Animals Conference 2008
(“AfA”). SPCA Selangor was represented by a contingent of 6 officers and senior volunteers who were selected based on their ongoing contributions to the organisation and their role in specific animal welfare campaigns in Malaysia. We were pleased to meet fellow Malaysians Dr. Ismail from the Department of Veterinary Services and two representatives from Ipoh Street Cats and Dogs at the Conference.
The biennial AfA Conference is by no means a pleasure junket for animal-lovers. It is, rather, a forum to bring together veterinarians, animal welfare/rescue professionals, government agencies and animal welfare organisations in Asia to develop winning animal welfare strategies. Many animal-related issues are unique to Asia, for instance, dog meat consumption, for which the developed world has not been able to offer a solution. Also, in the case of impoverished communities such as the Qalandars in India that have for generations trained performing bears, enforcing harsher penalties would be cruel if an alternative livelihood were not offered to the offenders. A forum such as AfA is therefore critical to the process of assessing and formulating animal protection policies that are socially acceptable and that take into account human needs.
The 2008 AfA Conference was scheduled right in between two Balinese festivals, Galungan and Kuningan, and the Conference participants were delighted to encounter decorated shrines and ‘canang’ (offerings of flowers, fruit and incense) at every turn. The election of Bali as the Conference venue was appropriate, as Bali is rich in contradictions. Bakso carts share the sidewalks with ‘penjor’ (decorated bamboo poles bearing offerings), and the gentle Balinese people, who make time for daily worship, also touched us with their love of nature and animals. Yet for every well-fed street dog we saw, there were always others suffering from disease and malnutrition. And while we loved the island for having reclaimed the tale of Yudisthira, the noble king who chose to renounce Heaven unless a loyal stray mongrel was also allowed entry, we were also aware of the island’s animistic tradition of animal sacrifice, including the ritual slaughter of dogs in the rural areas. Bali therefore was a good metaphor for the complexity of the challenges we face as animal care providers in the developing world.
Day 1 of the Conference was kicked off with the reading of the 2007 Conference resolutions, followed by ice-breaking activities coordinated by Profauna Indonesia. After 4 team-building challenges which involved much spilling of water and messing up of clothes and hair, we returned to the Conference hall bedraggled and grimy to debate topics such as sustainable animal advocacy and activism, animal welfare journalism, the consumption of dog meat in China and Korea and the need for Asian solidarity in speaking up against the practice.
In the evening, we were honoured with the presence of Shaun Monson, award-winning director of the 2005 animal rights documentary, ‘Earthlings’. The screening of ‘Earthlings’ left most of the delegates in tears, but Monson received a standing ovation nevertheless after the closing credits. After a final Q&A session, the Conference participants adjourned to the beach for a candle-lighting and blessing ceremony for departed animals, followed by a vegetarian dinner.
Day 2 of the Conference saw the SPCA Selangor delegation split into 2 working groups: Companion Animal Track and Wildlife Track. The Companion Animal Track workshop participants departed on the bus in the morning to visit the Yudisthira Field Clinic, and returned to the Conference venue after lunch to observe the live keyhole spay demonstration. Dr. Natasha Lee, formerly of SPCA Selangor, delivered a presentation on the SPCA-DBKL Klinik Kembiri Low Cost Neuter Clinic, while SPCA Selangor’s officer Jacinta Johnson shared the lessons learned at the South Pacific Humane Education Conference and related how the information was used to improve animal welfare education programmes in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the Wildlife Track workshop participants laboured over topics such as assessing wildlife in captivity, establishing a wildlife rescue centre, establishing an Asian Sanctuary Alliance and wildlife rehabilitation. The Wildlife Track participants went on a field trip to the Bali Zoo in Singapadu in the evening to conduct a Zoo Check exercise to evaluate the well-being of the wildlife in captivity.
On the final day of the Conference, we worked on the more results-orientated issues such as law enforcement, working with the government, enlisting volunteers, disaster relief and response and campaign planning and preparation. The final programme for the Conference was the drafting of the 2008 Resolutions. Contributions from SPCA Selangor included implementing and enforcing better laws on, and restrictions against, the retail sale of pets.
The Asia for Animals Conference 2008 was officially closed at 6 p.m. on 29th August, and the SPCA Selangor team returned to Malaysia with the intellectual resources necessary to promote responsible pet ownership, animal welfare, disease prevention and effective wildlife management in Malaysia. Without the AfA conference, much time and resources would have been squandered on conducting campaigns and projects on a trial-and-error basis. Our heartfelt thanks go out to our sponsors and supporters for their assistance and encouragement, and to the Conference speakers and workshop facilitators for the knowledge they shared and disseminated so generously.
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